Build your commercial insurance package
Beyond employers’ liability, a hospitality venue needs a bundle of cover most insurers sell as a package: public liability (a customer is hurt or their property is damaged), product liability (someone is made ill by food or drink you served), buildings and contents, business interruption (income lost if you have to close after a fire, flood or burst pipe), and — specific to licensed premises — loss of licence cover, which protects your income if your alcohol licence is suspended or revoked.
Beyond employers’ liability, a hospitality venue needs a bundle of cover most insurers sell as a package: public liability (a customer is hurt or their property is damaged), product liability (someone is made ill by food or drink you served), buildings and contents, business interruption (income lost if you have to close after a fire, flood or burst pipe), and — specific to licensed premises — loss of licence cover, which protects your income if your alcohol licence is suspended or revoked.
Without public and product liability cover, a single claim from a customer — a scald, an allergic reaction, a slip on a wet floor — can be large enough to close the business. Landlords and some licensing conditions require proof of cover before you trade, and loss of licence cover is the only thing that keeps money coming in if your licence is reviewed or suspended.
There is no single policy to buy online — get quotes from an insurer or broker.
Ask specifically about loss of licence cover — not every package includes it by default.
Who this is for
Every venue — the mix of covers varies by risk (a full kitchen needs more product liability cover than a coffee bar), but some public liability cover is universal.
No statutory minimum in most cases, though some landlords and event organisers set their own minimum public liability limit (commonly £2m–£10m).
What you’ll hold
- Policy schedule and certificate for every cover in the package
Watch out for
- Assuming loss of licence cover is automatically bundled into public liability — it usually has to be added as a named extension.
- Under-declaring turnover or headcount to lower the premium, which can void a claim later.
- Leaving contents and stock uninsured during the fit-out, before trading cover starts.
Sources
- mygov.scot — Get the right business insurance checked 2026-09-02
- BIBA — Find insurance with a trusted broker checked 2026-09-02
See also
- Employers' liability insurance
- Apply for your premises licence
- Set up card payments, EPOS and your first PCI self-assessment
- Insurance renewals— this becomes an ongoing job once you’re open →
This is item 13 of 66 in the free UK Launch Checklist. See the whole list →