Food hygiene certificate in Cardiff
Last updated: 21 October 2026
Short answer
You can take our Level 2 food hygiene course online from anywhere in Cardiff and get your certificate the same day, for £12 per person. Food handlers do not have to hold a food hygiene certificate.[1] The food business must make sure its food handlers are supervised and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene in line with their work.[2]
Who inspects food businesses in Cardiff?
Food hygiene inspections in Cardiff are carried out by Shared Regulatory Services, the joint environmental health team for Bridgend, Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan councils.
- Cardiff Council's food business licences page sends food businesses to Shared Regulatory Services (srs.wales) for food business registration.[3]
- Shared Regulatory Services says you must register with it at least 28 days before you start any food business operations; there is no charge and registration cannot be refused.[4]
- Shared Regulatory Services offers Food Hygiene Advice Visits (food hygiene law and the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme) and runs a course called Food Safety and Supervising Food Safety in Catering.[5]
Which food hygiene rating applies in Cardiff?
Wales uses the 0 to 5 Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, run by councils with the FSA.[6][7] In Wales, food businesses must by law display their rating sticker (Food Hygiene Rating (Wales) Act 2013, section 7).[6][8]
The FSA's open data lists 3,506 food businesses for Cardiff Council.[9]
Do food handlers in Cardiff need a food hygiene certificate?
No certificate is required by law, but training is. The business must make sure each person who handles food is supervised and instructed or trained for the work they do, and be able to show it. A certificate and a training record are the simplest way to show this at an inspection. Read our UK training guide for the full rules.
How do you register a new food business in Cardiff?
Food businesses must register with their local council at least 28 days before trading or before food operations start, including when they take over an existing business.[10] In Cardiff, you register with Shared Regulatory Services.
What does the course cover for Wales?
The UK version of the course covers Wales: the 0 to 5 rating that businesses must display by law, and Safer Food Better Business.
The course has seven short modules with a quiz after each one, then a 30-question final exam (pass mark 21) with free retakes. The PDF certificate has a QR code so an employer or inspector can check it online. It confirms completion of training; it is not a regulated qualification.
How much does a food hygiene certificate cost in Cardiff?
£12 per person (£10 + VAT per person). Team packs for Cardiff cafés, restaurants and kitchens: 10 learners £95, 25 learners £225, 50 learners £400 + VAT, with a manager dashboard and training records.
Other places in Wales
See every council in Wales or all UK locations.
Sources
- Running a food business: Staff training, illness and hygiene (GOV.UK, updated 30 January 2025)
- Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Annex II, Chapter XII (Training) (legislation.gov.uk, revised version, last amended 31 December 2020)
- Food business and street licences (Cardiff Council, checked 21 October 2026)
- Register a Food Business (Shared Regulatory Services, checked 21 October 2026)
- Food (Shared Regulatory Services, checked 21 October 2026)
- Food hygiene rating scheme (Food Standards Agency, no date shown)
- Food hygiene rating scheme (GOV.UK, no date shown)
- Food Hygiene Rating (Wales) Act 2013, section 7 (legislation.gov.uk, as enacted)
- Food hygiene rating scheme open data (Food Standards Agency, data file dated 21 October 2026)
- Register a food business (Food Standards Agency, no date shown)
Train your staff in 2–3 hours
Our Food Safety & Hygiene Level 2 course has seven short modules, a final exam and an instant certificate with QR verification.