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What is Café insurance
Café insurance is a tailored business insurance package designed to protect cafés, coffee shops and small restaurants against the everyday risks of running a food business. It can combine several types of cover into one policy, helping owners safeguard staff, customers and their livelihood.
Key covers often include:
Employers’ liability insurance – a legal requirement if you employ staff, covering claims if employees are injured or fall ill because of their work.
Public liability insurance – protects against claims from customers or visitors who are injured or whose property is damaged at your café.
Business interruption insurance – helps cover lost income and operating costs if you are forced to close temporarily due to an insured event, such as a fire or flood.
Additional options may include cover for stock, contents, and equipment, ensuring your café can recover quickly from unexpected setbacks.
Do I need café insurance?
Yes, most café owners need insurance, both to meet legal obligations and to protect their business financially. Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if you employ staff, while many clients will also expect you to hold public liability insurance if you provide catering services.
Even if not legally required, café insurance offers vital protection. It can cover the costs of accidents involving customers or staff, as well as losses from theft, vandalism, or damage to equipment. Without it, you may face significant expenses that could threaten the future of your business.
🚩 Employers liability insurance is a legal requirement if you have staff
🚩 If you provide catering services, clients may insist you have public liability insurance
Why should café owners take out business insurance?
Avoid a £2,500 daily fine
If you are a UK business and you have any non-family members working for you then by law you must have employers' liability insurance.
Without it, you can be fined up to £2,500 for every day you're not insured
Protect members of the public
Things can unexpectedly go very wrong when you are working in a café. If anyone becomes ill or injured on your premises you could be responsible for the associated costs, including expensive compensation claims.
Public liability insurance isn't a legal requirement, but it covers you if you cause any harm to members of the public.
You cause damage to a customer's property
From spilling drinks on a customer's coat or phone, to dropping food on someone's bag, there are 101 scenarios that could end up causing expensive damage that owners may expect you to pay for.
With public liability insurance your insurance provider will pay the costs of accidental damage to other people's property, whether that's a client, supplier or member of the public.
Protection for staff injuries and illnesses
If anyone becomes ill or injured because of your work you could be responsible for the associated costs, including expensive compensation claims. This is far from an unlikely scenario: an average 47,000 construction workers are injured each year.
Employers' liability insurance covers harm caused to employees, contractors, volunteers and anyone else doing any work for you. It's also a legal requirement.
Your equipment is damaged or stolen
Business contents insurance can help you recover the cost of losing company equipment to fire, flood, theft and other disasters. Tool cover can offer similar protection for your expensive cooking and baking tools.
Legal support if you're sued
You can be taken to court if a client or a member of the public believe they have been physically or financially harmed because of your establishment, e.g. if you've accidentally food poisoned a customer or served food that is too hot and has scalded their mouth.
Public liability insurance can cover the legal fees and compensation payouts in the event of a claim.
Did you know?
£68 million in insurance claims ^
That's how much was paid out in 2024. Without business insurance, those customers would have faced paying that bill themselves.
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What insurance should a café owner have?
Café owners should consider a range of insurance policies to protect staff, customers and the business itself. The most common types include:
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Public liability
Public liability insurance protects you if your work harms members of the public.
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Business interruption
Business interruption insurance protects against disruption from events like fires.
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Employers' liability
Employers’ liability insurance protects you if your staff become ill or injured at work.
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Business buildings
Commercial building insurance protects offices and workplace buildings.
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Product liability insurance
Product liability insurance provides cover if food or drink served in your café causes illness or injury to a customer.
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Business contents insurance
Business contents insurance covers fixtures, fittings, and equipment such as coffee machines, furniture and stock.
How much does café business insurance cost?
Cheapest Annual Price | Average Annual Price | |
|---|---|---|
Public liability | £64.94^ | £80.76^ |
Professional indemnity | £66.99^ | £94.93^ |
Employers liability | £107.56^ | £228.72^ |
The cost of café business insurance depends on the type of cover you need, the size of your café and the level of risk involved. On average, small businesses pay around £80.76
Some policies can be much cheaper – for example, 10% of business owners paid as little as £64.94
What’s the cheapest price I could pay for business insurance?
£5
.41^ per month
According to our latest data, 10% of customers paid this when taking out an annual public liability insurance policy.
How much is the average business insurance claim?
£3,377^
The cost of fixing insurable problems yourself is usually significantly more expensive than taking out insurance.
How likely is it that my insurance claim will be accepted?
Almost 9 in 10
All insurance has conditions and exceptions, so you should read your policy documents carefully to make sure you know what is and isn't covered.
When it comes to business insurance, the cheapest option may not be the best option for you. Sometimes it is worth paying a little more to get a better level of cover.
What types of cover are included in café insurance?
Café insurance usually combines several types of cover into a single policy, tailored to the risks of running a food business. Common inclusions are:
Public liability insurance – protects against claims if customers are injured or their property is damaged in your café.
Employers’ liability insurance – legally required if you employ staff, covering illness or injury at work.
Business contents and equipment cover – insures items such as coffee machines, furniture, stock and point-of-sale systems against theft or damage.
Business interruption insurance – covers lost income if you need to close temporarily due to an insured event like fire or flood.
Product liability insurance – protects you if food or drink served in your café causes illness or injury.
Legal expenses insurance – can help with the costs of disputes, such as employment or property claims.
Personal accident insurance – provides financial support if you or an employee cannot work due to serious injury.
Most policies will not cover deliberate damage, claims arising from drugs or alcohol, general wear and tear, or costs linked to breach of contract. These exclusions are standard across business insurance, so it’s important to check your policy carefully.
Our expert says…
Running a café can be a rewarding experience. To protect your business, you’ll need insurance to protect your business, your staff and your customers. You’ll need insurance to cover any legal costs if a customers is injured on your premises or suffers an adverse reaction to food or drink sold to them. You will also need insurance to protect your café buildings and contents.
Emma Lunn Personal finance expert
What other trades could I get insurance for?
Compare business insurance quotes from leading UK insurers
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Frequently asked questions
What policies do I need for a café?
You’ll need to adhere to food hygiene and safety regulations. This will usually include obtaining a food hygiene certificate. You might also need a licence from the local authority to run a café.
Does a café need to be VAT registered?
Cafes must register for VAT if they meet the VAT registration threshold which applies to their taxable turnover. From the point of registration, they must charge customers VAT on all qualifying goods and services sold. You can use our VAT calculator to help you work out how much your should be charging your customers.
Who needs a Level 2 food hygiene certificate?
Level 2 Food Safety online training is required for anyone who works in a catering, manufacturing, or retail setting where food is prepared, cooked, and handled.
Do I need to register my business before getting insurance?
No, you do not need to register your business before getting business insurance. You can take out business insurance even before officially registering your business with HMRC or Companies House.
Is it law for a cafe to have a toilet?
No, it is not always a legal requirement for a cafe to have a toilet. Generally, small food outlets with fewer than 10 seats or those providing takeaway services are not required to provide toilets for customers. Laws and guidance can vary by council, so requirements might differ based on location.
What insurance do I need to run a café?
Café insurance might include public liability insurance, employer’s liability insurance, business interruption, buildings insurance and contents insurance.
How does MoneySuperMarket make money?
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Our comparison service is, and will always be, free to use.
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One of the best ways to get the lowest prices and best deals is to compare quotes from different companies. We do the work for you, comparing quotes side-by-side and giving you all the information you need so you can choose the right deal for your needs and your wallet.
We don’t give recommendations or financial advice, but we give you clear information so you can choose financial products that suit your circumstances.
Does MoneySuperMarket work with all the providers on the market?
No, not every company can be included in our service. This is because some companies don’t want their products included on comparison sites, and some decide that they would rather not pay a fee. There are also a few smaller providers who can struggle to cope with the volume of customers that can find their products if they appear on MoneySuperMarket.
Our goal is to search deals from as wide a range of companies as possible so that you can choose the deal that suits you.
Is business insurance eligible for SuperSaveClub and rewards?
No, at this time business insurance is not an eligible product for unlocking our SuperSaveClub rewards. It is also not included in our Price Promise.
Who are Simply Business?
Simply Business is one of the largest insurance brokers in the UK. They work with leading and specialist insurers to provide cover for small business owners, landlords and self-employed workers.
MoneySuperMarket has a commercial partnership with Simply Business. They offer various business and landlord insurance policies from different insurers through our platform, allowing our customers to find affordable quotes and policies that suit your specific needs.
Reviewed on 10 Dec 2025 by
According to Simply Business data, 10% of customers paid £5.41 or less monthly for a public liability insurance policy. Figure based on annual quotes purchased between 1st Aug - 31st Oct 2025. The price is for up to £2 million of public liability insurance and excludes the extra costs for paying monthly
According to Simply Business data, 51% of customers paid £80.76 or less annually for a public liability insurance policy. Figure based on annual quotes purchased between 1st Aug - 31st Oct 2025. The price is for up to £2 million of public liability insurance and excludes the extra costs for paying monthly
According to Simply Business data, 51% of customers paid £228.72 or less annually for a employers' liability insurance policy. Figure based on annual quotes purchased between 1st Aug - 31st Oct 2025. The price is for up to £10 million of employers' liability insurance and up to £2 million public liability limit and excludes the extra costs for paying monthly
According to Simply Business data, 51% of customers paid £94.93 or less annually for a professional indemnity insurance policy. Figure based on annual quotes purchased between 1st Aug - 31st Oct 2025. The price is for up to £1 million of public liability insurance and excludes the extra costs for paying monthly
According to Simply Business data, 10% of customers paid £64.94 or less annually for a public liability insurance policy. Figure based on annual quotes purchased between 1st Aug - 31st Oct 2025. The price is for up to £2 million of public liability insurance and excludes the extra costs for paying monthly
Source: Gov.uk
Source: UK Government's Construction Statistics in Great Britain Report 2024
YouGov Survey 1st July 2024 to 30th June 2025. Net Recommend score derived from “Which of the following online service websites would you recommend to a friend or colleague, or tell them to avoid?” Base: Current Customers of (MoneySuperMarket n=18,382, Compare the Market n=16,802, Go.Compare n=10,162, Confused.com n=8,229, Uswitch n=528).
From 01.06.23 to 31.05.24 MoneySuperMarket customers received £1.59bn estimated savings based on (i) SuperSaveClub reward redemptions, and (ii) savings claims per product multiplied by the number of sales. Products included - Car, Home, Pet and Travel insurance, Broadband, Credit Cards, Loans and Mortgages.
According to Simply Business data, 10% of customers paid £66.99 or less annually for a professional indemnity insurance policy. Figure based on annual quotes purchased between 1st Aug - 31st Oct 2025. The price is for up to £1 million of public liability insurance and excludes the extra costs for paying monthly
According to Simply Business data, 10% of customers paid £107.56 or less annually for a employers' liability insurance policy. Figure based on annual quotes purchased between 1st Aug - 31st Oct 2025. The price is for up to £10 million of employers' liability insurance and up to £2 million public liability limit and excludes the extra costs for paying monthly
88% of business insurance claims made by MoneySuperMarket customers were accepted in the 12 months before March 2025. Data from SimplyBusiness.
Simply Business data 2024
Average claims value for MoneySuperMarket customers who claimed on their business insurance in the last 12 months. Data provided by SimplyBusiness.