Festival season can bring exciting opportunities for mobile catering businesses, but increased customer demand often means bringing in additional staff.
Whether you’re hiring temporary workers for a weekend event or building a larger seasonal team, it’s important to understand your responsibilities as an employer.
Plan ahead
Festival recruitment often becomes competitive during peak season. Start hiring early to ensure you have enough time for:
- Interviews
- Training
- Paperwork
- Rotas
- Equipment preparation
Check right to work requirements
UK employers are legally required to check that employees have the right to work in the UK. Further guidance can be found online through the official government website.
Provide proper training
Even temporary workers should receive basic training before starting work. Training should cover:
- Food hygiene
- Allergens
- Fire safety
- Manual handling
- Equipment operation
- Customer service
Understand wage requirements
Employers must ensure workers receive at least the National Minimum Wage. You can find the current official rates online.
Review insurance cover
Before taking on additional staff, review your insurance arrangements. You may need:
- Employers’ Liability Insurance
- Public Liability Insurance
- Product Liability Insurance
It’s important your insurer is aware of staffing increases during busy periods.
Create clear staff rotas
Festival environments can be physically demanding.
Well-organised rotas can help reduce:
- Staff fatigue
- Errors
- Accidents
- Poor customer service
Prioritise staff welfare
Happy staff are more productive and more likely to provide excellent customer service. Ensure your team has:
- Breaks
- Access to water
- Shade where possible
- Clear communication
- Support during busy periods
Hiring the right staff can make a huge difference to your festival success. By planning ahead, training properly, and ensuring you have the right insurance in place, your mobile catering business can operate confidently throughout the busy summer season.