Fish and chip shop insurance

Q: Can I buy business insurance if I’ve had any CCJs or IVAs?

Each insurer looks at CCJs and IVAs differently – some apply stricter rules than others, but having a CCJ or IVA doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be able to buy insurance.

Join over nearly a million customers (including over 13,000 chippies like yours) – we offer public liability cover from £4.95*

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10% of customers pay the equivalent of £4.95 a month*

Fish and chip shop owner in a blue shirt and gloves

Why is fish & chip shop insurance important?

Fish and chip shop insurance can provide far more than public and product liability insurance. From burns and slips to a case of food poisoning, third party incidents are a common risk for chip shops, but so are stock and equipment damage, plus employee claims and your own personal accidents, if an injury could force you to close.

specific insurance for fish and chip shop risks, including deep fat fryers
public and product liability from £2 million
rated 4.5/5 based on 39.9K public liability customer reviews

What does fish and chip insurance cover?

From storing ingredients to health and safety procedures, you know your industry best. So we put you in charge of your fish and chip insurance policy, with options for different risks and set-ups. Most food businesses start with public and product liability insurance and add other specific cover for their equipment, stock, employees, and personal accidents, depending on their own specific needs and priorities.

Public liability insurance for fish and chip shops

In case your fish and chip shop causes an injury, illness, or property damage.
Employers’ liability insurance

In case an employee gets sick or injured while working for you.
Contents insurance

In case something happens to equipment like your shop’s tablet, or your furniture.
Stock insurance

In case the ingredients and materials you use are lost, stolen, or damaged.
Legal expenses insurance

In case you’re faced with legal costs while running your fish and chip shop.
Personal accident insurance

In case you or anyone you’ve covered has an accident, at work or elsewhere.
Building insurance

In case something happens to your business or shop premises.

Public liability insurance for fish and chip shops

In case your fish and chip shop causes an injury, illness, or property damage.

What’s typically covered by public liability insurance?

Claims against your business for:
- damage to someone’s property, caused by your fish and chip shop
- an injury or illness caused by your business activities or products
- accidental damage or injuries caused by your employees
For example:
- a customer gets food poisoning which is traced back to your shop, and raises a claim against you
- a delivery driver slips on your shop floor before you’ve cleaned down, injuring their lower back and hip
If you do employ anyone, you’re usually required by law to have employers’ liability insurance too.

Read more about public liability insurance
Employers’ liability insurance

In case an employee gets sick or injured while working for you.

What’s typically covered by employers’ liability insurance?

Claims against your business for:
- an injury or illness that happens as a result of working for you (including temps and casual workers)
**Employers’ liability insurance is required by law if you have people working for you. Without it, you could be fined up to £2,500 a day for each employee.**

For example:
- an employee burns their arm on a pressure cooker in your kitchen, and raises a claim against you
- while cleaning behind a fridge, your employee scratches their hand and needs hospital treatment
Contents insurance

In case something happens to equipment like your shop’s tablet, or your furniture.

What’s typically covered by business and office equipment insurance?
- accidental damage to your fixtures and fittings, or the equipment you use to run your fish and chip shop business
- theft, flood, and fire damage
For example:
- your work laptop is stolen from your back office while you’re serving
- a fire damages your fryer and display casing beyond repair, along with multiple items of kitchen equipment
Read more about business and office equipment insurance
Stock insurance

In case the ingredients and materials you use are lost, stolen, or damaged.

What’s typically covered by stock insurance?
- loss, damage, or theft of the essentials you keep in stock, like dry, fresh, and frozen ingredients
For example:
- there’s an overnight break-in at your shop, and your stock is damaged
- you order in dry stock for the next three months, which gets damaged by flooding in your store area
Read more about stock insurance
Legal expenses insurance

In case you’re faced with legal costs while running your fish and chip shop.

What’s typically covered by legal expenses insurance?
- legal costs that you’re responsible for, within your business
- property damage, nuisance, or trespass – specifically, the associated legal claims and compensation payouts
- tax and compliance disputes and investigations you need help with
- access to expert advice – including a tax advice phone line, confidential 24/7 legal phone line, and crisis PR support to help you protect your reputation as a popular fish and chip shop
For example:
- HMRC begin a randomised investigation into your tax history, and you need to cover the costs
- you need to pay for legal representation when an employee sues you for unfair dismissal
Read more about legal expenses insurance
Personal accident insurance

In case you or anyone you’ve covered has an accident, at work or elsewhere.

What’s typically covered by personal accident insurance?
- accidental injury or death of anyone you’ve chosen to cover in your policy – whether this happens at work or elsewhere
- lost income, hospital bills, or other medical costs associated with the accident
For example:
- you slip on some water while carrying a crate of potatoes and injure your lower back
- your employee (who you’ve covered on the policy) breaks their leg while playing rugby, and needs eight weeks off work
Read more about personal accident insurance
Building insurance

In case something happens to your business or shop premises.

What’s typically covered by building insurance?
- the cost of repairing damage to the structure of your building (or rebuilding it from scratch)
- damage to fixtures and fittings
- damage to underground pipes and cables you’re responsible for
For example:
- you need to replace a non-supporting wall in your building, which has been damaged
- someone graffitis the front of your shop and you need to repair the damage ahead of the busy summer season
What you’ll need additional cover for
- tenants’ improvements – changes to the property’s structure which you’ve organised and paid for yourself, like partition walls or wooden flooring
Read more about buildings insurance

This content has been created for general information purposes. Make sure you have the right level of business insurance by checking your policy documentation for details. Read our full Terms and Conditions

How much does chip shop insurance cost?

Find out how much you’ll pay by comparing prices from a range of trusted insurers. You choose what goes into your policy, so you only pay for what you need.

Prices start from £4.95 per month

Get tailored quotes in 7 minutes – prices are guaranteed for 30 days.

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The price is for up to £2 million of public liability insurance – 10% of customers paid £59.34 or less annually between 1st Feb – 30th April 2025. Equivalent to £4.95 a month (and excludes the extra costs for paying monthly). 82% of customers have a £1 million limit and 18% £2 million. If you complete a quote, more types of cover will be available. These all have additional costs.

Example fish and chip shop insurance quotes, real prices

£165.49 /month

£1,471.05 /year

A small family-run chip shop located in a small retail space

1-2 years’ experience
Limited company
No employees
Based in Gloucester

Public liability

£2,000,000

Employers’ liability

£10,000,000

Stock

Not included

£177.54 /month

£1,578.15 /year

A large chip shop located on the high street

5+ years’ experience
Limited company
2 employees
Based in Manchester

Public liability

£5,000,000

Employers’ liability

£10,000,000

Stock

£10,000

How we work out example quotes These examples are real quotes from our online system (created 13/08/2021). They’re based on a range of factors, like employees and location. Your own quote will be based on what you tell us about your business. Prices may go up or down from day to day, so the prices you’re quoted may differ to the ones you see here.

What kind of excess should I expect?

An excess is an amount you pay towards any claim you make on your insurance. For example, if your excess is £250 and you make a claim worth £1000, your payout will be a maximum of £750.

Insurance cover	Lowest excess	Highest excess
Main building	£200	£4000
Stock	£200	£4000
Contents	£200	£4000
Employers liability	No excess	No excess
Public liability	No excess	£750
Product liability	No excess	No excess

The figures above are for guidance only and any excess applying to your quote may differ. You’ll get a breakdown of the excesses for each quote when you compare with us.

How it works

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Only pay for what you need

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How do I choose insurance?

Making sure you have the right type and level of business insurance can be the difference between getting a claim paid and having to cover the cost of an expensive accident yourself. Read our tips for guidance on what to consider when buying a policy.

Which type of workers do I need insurance for?
Does chip shop insurance cover my work correctly?
Do I need cover for other types of work?
Which public liability cover limit should I choose?

Which type of workers do I need insurance for?

Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if you employ people.

If you have people working for you, including bona fide subcontractors (BFSC), labour-only subcontractors (LOSC), part-timers, or full-time staff, employers’ liability insurance is required by law.

Read on for our simplified guide to the difference between labour-only subcontractors and bona fide subcontractors.
Does chip shop insurance cover my work correctly?

Make sure you’re picking the right cover to protect you properly. It’s important to know that if you have another trade or job, you’ll need additional cover. For example, do you need to consider joinery insurance or builders insurance?
Do I need cover for other types of work?

If you provide other services, make sure you’re covered:
Other types of insurance
Which public liability cover limit should I choose?

Think about the maximum possible loss your business could face in the event of a claim, and make sure you take legal fees and damages into consideration. You can choose from three levels of coverage – £1 million, £2 million, or up to £5 million.

Talk to an expert

Our team of UK-based insurance experts are here to help, Mon 09.00am – 05.30pm, Tues 09.00am – 05.30pm, Weds 09.00am – 05.30pm, Thurs 09.30am – 05.30pm, Fri 09.00am – 05.30pm, Sat 09.00am – 02.00pm

Call our team

0333 043 8527

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Contact us on our website whenever suits you

Phone

Call our insurance experts during office hours (calls are charged at a local rate)

FAQs

Find answers to common insurance questions

How do claims work?

Unlike price comparison websites, we take the hassle out of claims for you. We know how important it is to get your business back on track quickly – and with a minimum of fuss. That’s why you get access to your dedicated claims any time, day or night. Call them on 0333 207 0560 or claim online. They’ll do their best to be fair and supportive.

£68 million in claims paid out in 2024

76% of claims were settled in 2024.

The figure above is rounded across our range of products. “Settled” covers paid, declined or withdrawn. Our claims process may vary for different products and operates on a ‘claim by claim’ basis. Our specialist partner Sedgwick will pay the claims on behalf of the insurer. Reviewed on 26/02/2025.

Example claim

Having fish and chip shop business insurance through Simply Business has saved professionals thousands of pounds when the unexpected happened.

Tony saved more than £3,800

Tony (not his real name) received a solicitor’s letter claiming for a burn injury to a counter employee. The employers’ liability cover added to his chip shop insurance policy helped cover the compensation payout due from Tony.

Insurance payout

£3,890.00

Covering the cost of accidental injury

Insurance payout

Covering the cost of accidental injury

Chosen by nearly one million small business and landlord customers

We started out as a team of five back in 2005. We’ve grown since then, with nearly a million customers across 1,500 trades now trusting us to provide their business insurance.

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Rated 4.5/5

Based on 39.9K Feefo reviews

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Fish and chip insurance FAQ

Whether you’re new to buying business insurance or you’ve been trading for a while, here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about fish and chip shop insurance. You can also check out our business insurance FAQs.

I use a deep fat fryer at my restaurant – what do I need to be aware of?

A deep fat fryer is a high-risk piece of fish and chip shop kit, so there are lots of safety measures you have to follow when you use one. If you’re claiming for unexpected costs through your chip insurance and you’re discovered not to have met these conditions, it could invalidate your policy. This means you wouldn’t get a payout.

To avoid this, you’ll need to check the requirements for the make and model of the fryer you’re planning to use at your fish and chip shop. If you don’t have access to the manual, you can call the manufacturer and ask them for the information.

The top six criteria you may need to comply with are:

model type (e.g basket or table top)
capacity
thermostatic control
yearly servicing
venting and extraction systems cleaned every six months

Can I add cover for a different trade or profession to my business insurance policy?

Yes. It’s important to make sure you have the right type and level of insurance for the different types of work you do. For example, if you’re a plumber, you may also do building work on certain jobs – you’ll need additional cover for this, but you can have it all on the one policy. When you start your quote, you’ll have the option to add another trade or profession to your policy. If you need to add a third trade, give us a call on 0333 043 8527 and one of our insurance experts will help you set up your policy in minutes.

Can I buy business insurance if I’ve had any CCJs or IVAs?

What’s the difference between paying by Direct Debit and paying in one lump sum?

You can choose the payment type that suits your business and cash flow best. Some customers prefer to pay in one go, while others prefer to pay a regular monthly amount, like you do with lots of other bills. Simply Business offer three ways to pay for your policy:

one-off credit or debit card payment
BACS payment
Direct Debit

If you choose to pay by Direct Debit, our credit provider, Premium Credit, pays Simply Business the full amount for your policy up front. You then repay Premium Credit in 10 monthly instalments.

Does public liability insurance cover my business for the actions of my employees?

This will depend on whether you have employers’ liability insurance in place. Public liability insurance is designed to protect your business against the consequences of legal action brought by members of the public for injuries or damage to their belongings. But when it comes to your employees causing injury or damage, this protection only activates if you also have employers’ liability insurance.

If you employ people, you’re required by law to have employers’ liability insurance.

There’s one exception here. Family businesses that aren’t incorporated as a limited company are not legally required to have employers’ liability insurance. The government defines a “family business” as one where all your employees are closely related to you (as a spouse, civil partner, sibling, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, step-parent, stepchild or half-sibling). So if you run an unincorporated family business and you choose not to get employers’ liability insurance, it’s important to know that your public liability insurance wouldn’t cover you against damage or injury caused by your team.

We create this content for general information purposes and it should not be taken as advice. Always check policy documentation for details and seek professional advice. Read our full Terms and Conditions

Fish and chip shop insurance

Why is fish & chip shop insurance important?

What does fish and chip insurance cover?

Public liability insurance for fish and chip shops

What’s typically covered by public liability insurance?

Employers’ liability insurance

What’s typically covered by employers’ liability insurance?

Contents insurance

What’s typically covered by business and office equipment insurance?

Stock insurance

What’s typically covered by stock insurance?

Legal expenses insurance

What’s typically covered by legal expenses insurance?

Personal accident insurance

What’s typically covered by personal accident insurance?

Building insurance

What’s typically covered by building insurance?

How much does chip shop insurance cost?

Prices start from £4.95 per month

Example fish and chip shop insurance quotes, real prices

What kind of excess should I expect?

How it works

Pick what goes into your policy

Get prices from a range of insurers

Buy online in minutes

How do I choose insurance?

Which type of workers do I need insurance for?

Does chip shop insurance cover my work correctly?

Do I need cover for other types of work?

Which public liability cover limit should I choose?

Talk to an expert

Online

Phone

FAQs

How do claims work?

£68 million in claims paid out in 2024

Example claim

Tony saved more than £3,800

Compare and buy in minutes

Rated 4.5/5

Here to help

24/7 claims

Fish and chip insurance FAQ

Helpful articles for chip shops

How to increase footfall in a retail store or local shop

What is good customer service?