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Restaurant insurance is specialised business insurance for restaurant owners. You can buy different types of insurance:
Employers liability insurance - covers costs if employees are harmed
Public liability insurance - covers costs if members of the public are harmed
Business interruption - covers costs if you need to temporarily shut your restaurant
🚩 Employers liability insurance is a legal requirement if you have staff
🚩 If you provide catering services, clients may insist you have public liability insurance
If you own your own restaurant, insurance can financially protect you if something goes wrong at work.
Without insurance you could end up paying some very high costs if your equipment is stolen or vandalised, or your employee or customers get hurt on your premises.
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[3].
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.[4]
Employers' liability insurance covers harm caused to employees, contractors, volunteers and anyone else doing any work for you. It's also a legal requirement.
Things can unexpectedly go very wrong when you are working in a restaurant. 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.
From spilling drinks on a customer's coat, to dropping food on someone's bag or phone, 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.
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 culinary tools.
You can be taken to court if a client or a member or 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.
That's how much was paid out in 2024. Without business insurance, those customers would have faced paying that bill themselves.
Comparing quotes from different insurers allows you to find the best deal out there.
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Public liability insurance protects you if your work harms members of the public.
Employers’ liability insurance protects you if your staff become ill or injured at work.
Business interruption insurance protects against disruption from events like fires.
Business contents insurance protects equipment, including in home offices.
Personal accident insurance protects you if you're injured.
Commercial building insurance protects offices and workplace buildings.
Cheapest Annual Price | Average Annual Price | |
|---|---|---|
Public liability | £55.43[8] | £84.27[9] |
Professional indemnity | £39.12[10] | £78.40[11] |
Employers liability | £74.21[12] | £203.58[13] |
The table shows the average prices paid by our customers for the most common types of business insurance.
Average price means 51% of customers paid this amount or less. Cheapest price means 10% of customers paid this price or less.
According to our latest data, 10% of customers paid this when taking out an annual public liability insurance policy.
The cost of fixing insurable problems yourself is usually significantly more expensive than taking out insurance.
Almost 9 in 10[15] of business insurance claims made by MoneySuperMarket customers were accepted last year.
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.
Financial loss: Compensation payouts to third parties that had their person or property harmed by your work activities
Business van insurance: Standard motor insurance policies won't usually cover vehicles that are used for work
Legal expenses insurance: For things like employment disputes, property disputes, and tax investigations
Accidental death: Offers a lump sum should you or an employee die as a result of an unforeseen incident
Tools and equipment: Cover to repair and replace business equipment that is damaged or stolen
Business contents: Covers items such as office furniture or computers and phone systems for if they’re damaged or stolen
Professional indemnity: Covers you if your business is responsible for any professional negligence
Personal accident insurance: Offers a lump sum payment if you or an employee are hurt and no longer able to work
Intentional harm or damage: Either by yourself or an employee
Poor workmanship: Most insurance policies won't cover you for events that are caused by incompetence, although professional indemnity will cover you for some types of negligence
Drugs or alcohol: If you or your employees were under the influence when the event you want to claim for occurred
Damage to property being worked on: Some policies won't cover damage to a person's property caused while you are working on it
Wear and tear: Insurance won't pay out for damage or breaking of tools or equipment that are the result of general wear and tear
Breach of contract: Some types of insurance will exclude cover for costs arising from you breaching a contract
Improper use of business vehicles: If you're using vehicles for work purposes without declaring that to your insurer, or if the person driving is not covered by the policy
The type of insurance you need will depend on the type of business you run, how much cover you would like, and things like if you employ members of staff.
Usually restaurants have public liability insurance, to protect them if someone makes a claim against them, and employers’ liability insurance to cover employees. Yet there are lots of other area
No, restaurants do not legally need public liability insurance but it is a very useful policy and most do. It covers claims if a member of the public makes a claim against you - and these claims can be extremely costly if you need to pay out compensation.
The only insurance you legally need to take out is employers’ liability insurance if you hire other people to work in your restaurant. However, most restaurants will take out public liability insurance and buildings insurance as a minimum.
Public liability insurance should cover your business if someone makes a claim against you for food poisoning. However, every policy is different and has its own terms so always check the small print.
Owning a restaurant business can be hard work but it can also be extremely rewarding. This type of work also carries with it a lot of risks - a member of the public could sue you, you could lose income if your restaurant building is damaged, and you’ll need to think about your employees too.
Self-reported injuries are significantly higher in the food industry, when compared to other sectors in the UK, according to government data, making it even more important to have insurance.
With the right type of insurance, you can relax knowing you’re protected no matter what happens, leaving you more time to focus on getting the most out of your business.
Rebecca Goodman Personal Finance & Insurance Expert
MoneySuperMarket has won the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award, an independent seal of excellence, which recognises businesses that consistently deliver a world-class customer experience.
Legally you don’t need public liability insurance to sell food, or set up a restaurant, but it is highly recommended because it protects you if a member of the public makes a claim against you.
If your restaurant starts working with JustEat, or any other delivery company, or you’re a driver delivering food, you may want to buy business insurance.
This can cover you while you’re serving or delivering food. Before you buy a policy, always check with the company you’re working with - as they may provide some cover too.
The cost of buildings insurance for your restaurant will depend on things like the size of the restaurant, your opening hours, and the level of cover you choose.
It is an important policy as it covers the building against things like fire, flood or damage. There are lots of policies to choose from so always read the small print before you buy.
We get paid by the companies we work with, but the payment we get doesn’t have any bearing on the information we provide. We get paid in different ways, depending on the type of product or service you buy through us. Our goal is to search deals from as wide a range of companies as possible, but we only show results from our partner providers.
Our comparison service is, and will always be, free to use.
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.
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.
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.
According to Simply Business data, 10% of customers paid £4.62 or less monthly for public liability insurance policy with Simply Business. Figure based on annual quotes purchased between 1st February- 30th April 2025.
Simply Business is one of the UK's leading providers of business insurance, serving 1 million customers across 1,500 trades.
Source: Gov.uk
Source: UK Government's Construction Statistics in Great Britain Report 2024
Simply Business data 2024
YouGov Survey 1st October 2023 to 30th September 2024. Net recommended score derived from “Which of the following online service website would you recommend to a friend or colleague, or tell them to avoid?” Base: Current Customers of (MoneySuperMarket n=19272, CompareTheMarket n=17631, Go.Compare n=10457, Confused.com n= 8421, Uswitch n=681)
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 £55.43 or less annually for public liability insurance policy with Simply Business. Figure based on annual quotes purchased between 1st February- 30th April 2025.
According to Simply Business data, 51% of customers paid £84.27 or less annually for public liability insurance policy with Simply Business. Figure based on annual quotes purchased between 1st February- 30th April 2025.
According to Simply Business data, 10% of customers paid this or less annually for a professional indemnity insurance policy with Simply Business. Figure based on annual quotes purchased between 1st February- 30th April 2025.
According to Simply Business data, 51% of customers paid £78.40 or less annually for professional indemnity insurance policy with Simply Business. Figure based on annual quotes purchased between 1st February- 30th April 2025.
The price is for £10 million of employers' liability insurance and up to £2 million of public liability cover – 10% of customers paid this or less annually between 1st Feb - 30th April 2025.
The price is for £10 million of employers' liability insurance and up to £2 million of public liability cover – 51% of customers paid this or less annually between 1st Feb - 30th April 2025.
Average claims value for MoneySuperMarket customers who claimed on their business insurance in the last 12 months. Data provided by SimplyBusiness.
88% of business insurance claims made by MoneySuperMarket customers were accepted in the 12 months before March 2025. Data from SimplyBusiness.
