The Showmens Guild of Great Britain - Norwich & Eastern Counties Section

09/06/2026

Below are some details that all catering ("8l") members need to know.

Cooking Oil Regulations:

Storage: Store waste oil in secure, clearly marked, leak-proof containers in a designated area away from food prep and drainage points.
Disposal Ban: Never pour used cooking oil down sinks or floor drains. Doing so is a criminal offense under the Water Industry Act 1991 if it causes blockages.
Collection: You must use an authorised waste carrier to collect and recover your oil.
Duty of Care: You must retain Waste Transfer Notes for every collection, detailing the carrier's license, the volume, and where the oil is taken.

Catering Food Waste Requirements:

Separation: Food waste cannot be mixed with general waste or other recycling streams.
Collection: All businesses (unless they meet strict micro-firm exemptions) must arrange for a separate weekly food waste collection by a registered contractor.
Disposal Bans: It is strictly illegal to dispose of liquid food waste through macerators, enzyme digesters, or down the sewer system.
Animal Feed: Under current Animal By-Products regulations, it is illegal to feed catering waste or used cooking oil to livestock to protect the food chain.


Within this, as with ADIPS, record-keeping (and a food management system from the Food Standards Agency or NCASS - see below - is essential)

Dealing with food safety and disposal arrangements is as strict as that ADIPS / HSE is with rides - in that there are rules to follow
and by having documentation to show what you are doing / have done will make all the difference with spot-checks from visiting Environmental Health Officers (EHOs).


Much of this can be discussed with the person(s) conducting your 'Home Authority' Kiosk-food-Safety annual check (that you show to the local authorities you visit as you travel).


Mobile caterers require specialised food management systems to handle food safety compliance, stock, and operations on the go.
Essential systems include digital NCASS or FSA Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) packs for safety, and software like Kafoodle, MarketMan, or Civica for inventory and menu management, often integrated with mobile EPOS systems.
NCASS can advise on many of the issues covered below:


Further details from our partners NCASS:

Many Guild members are also members of NCASS (The Nationwide Caterers association) and there are many benefits for Guild members being NCASS members with offers from Bookers and on Calor gas.

They have extensive assistance for mobile caterers.

We are working on closer ties with them with the Guild including their presenting at a SHAD day with ADIPS.

https://www.ncass.org.uk/membership/



https://www.ncass.org.uk/news/simpler-recycling-law-change-what-you-need-to-know/

· From 31st March 2025, the laws around recycling for businesses is changing. The Government is introducing what it terms Simpler Recycling, to help make the process of mass recycling easier for businesses to comply with and to enhance the impact sustainable practices can have on an industrial scale.

· All businesses and non-domestic premises in England will be legally required to separate their wastes in specific categories as laid out below.

· However, businesses considered micro-firms will not have to comply with these changes until March 2027. Micro-firms are workplaces with less than 10 full-time employees (FTEs) in total. This relates to the total number of full time or full-time equivalent employees in a business, rather than in a certain business location. For example, if a business has 3 locations with 5 employees in each location, they have a total of 15 employees.

· But for SMEs who employ more then 10 FTEs then they will need to aware of the requirements to separate their recycling waste by March 2025. They should discuss this with their commercial waste contractor (private waste collector or local authority) who will be able to advise them further and ensure they are meting the requirements ahead of the law change on 31 March 2025.

· They will need to present the following wastes separated in accordance with the arrangements with their waste collector:

o Dry recyclable materials – plastic, metal, glass, paper and card (more information on separating recyclable material is in the ‘Separating recyclable waste’ section)

o Food waste

o Black bin waste (residual waste)

· For workplaces that generate garden waste, there is a legal requirement to sort this in accordance with waste management hierarchy, either recycling or composting this depending on which will produce the better environmental outcome.

· Furthermore, workplaces have autonomy to decide themselves on the size of disposal containers they use and the frequency of waste collections, so they can tailor this to best suit their individual operations.

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More information can be found here

Govt. Guidance

Simpler recycling: workplace recycling in England

Workplace recycling in England changed on 31 March 2025. Guidance for all businesses, charities and public sector organisations on separating recyclable waste.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/simpler-recycling-workplace-recycling-in-england





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Mobile caterers in the UK must adhere to strict food safety regulations regarding temperature control to prevent bacterial growth and comply with the law.

NCASS (Nationwide Caterers Association) provides guidance and systems to help businesses meet these legal requirements, which are designed to ensure that food is stored, cooked, cooled, and displayed safely. NCASS +4



Key food temperature checking legislation and requirements include:

1. Legal Temperature Limits:

· Cold Food: Perishable food must be stored at or below 8°C.

· Hot Holding: Once cooked or reheated, hot food must be kept above 63°C.

· Frozen Food: Should be stored below -18°C.

· Reheating: Food must be reheated to a core temperature of 75°C or above. NCASS +3

2. Exceptions and Time Limits:

· Hot Food Holding: Hot food can be kept below 63°C for a maximum of 2 hours for a single period.

· Cold Food Display: Cold food can be displayed above 8°C for a single period of up to 4 hours (e.g., on a buffet), but this should only be done once. NCASS +2

3. Monitoring and Record-Keeping:

· HACCP Requirement: Businesses must have a Food Safety Management System based on Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles.

· Daily Checks: It is recommended to check and record fridge temperatures at least once per day.

· Delivery Checks: Temperatures of chilled and frozen food should be checked and recorded immediately upon delivery.

· Temperature Logs: Records of cooking and holding temperatures must be maintained to demonstrate compliance to Environmental Health Officers (EHOs). NCASS +3

4. NCASS Support and Best Practices:

· NCASS Safety Management System (SMS): Provides a digital system (DSMS) and paper files to record daily checks, including temperatures, to ensure compliance. NCASS

· Equipment: Vehicles and containers must be able to maintain the correct food temperature. Food Standards Agency

· Training: All staff must be trained to understand and monitor food temperatures, typically to Level 2 Food Hygiene standard, with managers trained to Level 3. NCASS +1

For more information, mobile caterers should utilize the NCASS legal and compliance resources to ensure their specific setup meets all legal standards

Workplace recycling in England changed on 31 March 2025. Guidance for all businesses, charities and public sector organisations on separating recyclable waste.

09/06/2026

Subs
Some of you have paid and l thank you, the section thanks you
Those who have not and are waiting for the last minute, lm not in the office from 22nd June to 28th June due to commitments at Cambridge Fair.
I will be in and out, more out than in, so please get in touch soonest so we can sort your subs out.

If you fail to renew by 29th June you risk losing your established rights at any fairs where you have rights and being advertised as a non member of the guild.

09/06/2026

Kiosk (etc) Electrical Safety Certificates- requirement that they should be issued only by the qualified electrician undertaking an electrical test:

Members are reminded, as part of the Home Authority annual certification of Kiosks and other equipment that requires an electrical certificate, that they should only engage the services of
• a qualified electrician.
• with qualifications that include the 18th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations; the industry-recognised benchmark for electrical safety (BS 7671) effectively mandatory for employment and professional certification.

Any documents procured, to look like genuine certificates, which have not been produced by a qualified electrician, so qualified and sent out directly by that professional; shall be null and void. In the circumstances of an incident and / or a claim, all Public Liability Insurance that depends on such erroneous certification shall be null and void; exposing affected members to financial loss and other possible legal consequences; in addition to complaints being laid according to Guild Rule.

06/06/2026

TENANTS WHO ATTEND STEVENAGE CHARTER FAIR ARE ASKED TO ATTEND THE CAMBRIDGE GENERAL MEETING ON 26TH JUNE 2026 AT 2.15PM

WE HAVE HAD A SITE MEETING ON FRIDAY AND THERE ARE SOME ISSUES.
ALL WILL BE TALKED ABOUT AT THE CAMBRIDGE GENERAL MEETING.

04/06/2026

The Management Committee acting on the authority of the Central Council of the Showmen’s Guild of Gt. Britain wishes to remind members that under Rule 21 (a) ‘Taking Ground’ :

No member shall take ground from any person who is not a member and who has been expelled from the Guild, where the reason for their expulsion was: (iv) non-payment of fines.

Members should take notice that they are liable to have complaints laid against them if they break this rule.

03/06/2026

Please find below, the link to the Great British Summer Savings 2026: Family activities VAT relief fact sheet.



From 25 June to 1 September 2026 the Government is introducing a temporary reduced rate of VAT on children's menu meals in restaurants and family leisure activities over the summer period, cutting VAT from 20% to 5%.



The below link will outline and explain all the information needed.

From 25 June to 1 September 2026 the Government is introducing a temporary reduced rate of VAT on children's menu meals in restaurants and family leisure activities over the summer period, cutting VAT from 20% to 5%.

01/06/2026

Showmen’s Guild

Response to a written question put forward in parliament on behalf of the Showmen’s Guild by Will Stone MP,

Treasury has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (3617):

Question:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether Red Diesel for the purpose running fairs and circuses is included in the off-road operation tax freeze. (3617)

Tabled on: 20 May 2026

Answer:
Dan Tomlinson:

On 20 May, the Government announced support for households and businesses with their fuel costs, in response to the conflict in the Middle East. This included targeted support for users of red diesel and rebated biodiesel, where the duty rate for these fuels will be cut by over a third to 6.48p per litre, the lowest rate in over 20 years.

The cut will support substantial users of red diesel, such as farmers and rail freight, which have seen significant price increases as a result of the conflict. It will also benefit other users of red diesel, including travelling fairground and circus industries who use diesel for powering their machinery.

This red diesel cut will take effect from 15 June and remain in place until the end of 2026.

The answer was submitted on 01 Jun 2026 at 14:18.

27/05/2026

SUBS

PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE PAYING YOUR SUBS TO THE LAST MINUTE, IM IN THE OFFICE AND READY TO SORT OUT YOUR SUBS, IF YOU WANT TO PAY SOME ON ACCOUNT THATS FINE.

PLEASE MAKE SURE ALL PAPERWORK HAS YOUR NAME AND YOUR GUILD NUMBER ON IT, WITHOUT THE CORRECT NAME AND GUILD NUMBER WE CANNOT ISSUE A 9/1