HAVING FOOD AT EVENTS

Modified on Fri, 31 Jul at 11:41 AM

Having Food at Events

This guide explains the essential rules for having food at events, covering different venues (Union Building, College Spaces, External venues), Natasha’s Law, your responsibility around allergens, bake sales, and tips to help ensure your events are safe and compliant.

Quick Summary

Student groups are not allowed to prepare and serve food themselves.
Always clearly display allergen information for all food.
External caterers are not permitted in Union or College buildings (with limited exceptions)
Your risk assessment must cover food and allergens.

Food Rules by Venue

Union Spaces

What	Rule
Food provision	Only food prepared by the Union Venue Team is permitted, unless special permission is granted by the Activities and Venues teams. For enquiries, contact Beit.events@imperial.ac.uk
Pre-packaged food	Snacks such as biscuits, crisps, or similar are allowed. Must not require temperature control. Allergens must be clearly displayed.
Student food preparation	❌ Not permitted
External catering	❌ Not permitted. The only exception is pizza, which requires a risk assessment and the supplier's food hygiene certificate
Hot drinks	Permitted if covered in your risk assessment and prepared using hot water urns available through eActivities equipment hire.

College Spaces

What	Rule
Food provision	Only College Catering food is permitted
Pre-packaged food	Snacks such as biscuits, crisps, or similar are allowed. Must not require temperature control. Allergens must be clearly displayed.
Student food preparation	❌ Not permitted
External catering	❌ Not permitted. The only exception is Domino’s pizza. For other exceptions, contact roomsandcatering@imperial.ac.uk and submit an External Caterer Notification Form at least 21 days before the event
Hot drinks	Permitted if covered in your risk assessment and prepared using hot water urns available through eActivities equipment hire.
Stalls	Can sell non-temperature-controlled foods (e.g., baked goods, sweets) with allergens displayed and the supplier's food hygiene certificate attached. See the Bake Sales section below.

External Venues

External caterers are not permitted to supply food in Union or College buildings.

If your event is off-campus and you need an external caterer, read our Working with Suppliers article for safe and compliant steps.

IMPORTANT: When holding an event at an external venue, include the venue’s food hygiene certificate when submitting your event proposal.

Natasha's Law - What You Need to Know

Natasha's Law (the UK Food Information Amendment) came into effect in October 2021 and affects your events.

Natasha's Law says that any food packaged on-site (PPDS) for sale or given out at your event must have a full ingredients list, with allergens clearly shown (e.g., in bold or a different colour).

Why does this matter for your events?

If your group is selling or giving out food that’s been packaged in advance (like wrapped baked goods for a bake sale), PPDS rules apply. That means:

Each food item needs a label with every ingredient listed.
Highlight any allergens in the list (for example, use bold or a different colour).
If food isn’t labelled or the label isn’t clear, it’s not allowed (non-compliant) and could put people at risk.

This isn’t just good practice; it’s the law. Not following these rules could put people in danger and your group at risk.

Allergens - Your Responsibilities

Allergen management is a legal requirement and a serious safety matter. As an event organiser, you must consider allergens in your risk assessment and put control measures in place. Keep reading for suggested allergen management controls.

The 14 Regulated Allergens

You must be aware of and clearly communicate the presence of the following allergens:

Celery
Cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats)
Crustaceans (prawns, crabs, lobsters)
Eggs
Fish
Lupin
Milk
Molluscs (mussels, oysters)
Mustard
Peanuts
Sesame
Soybeans
Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (at concentrations above 10 parts per million)
Tree nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios, macadamia nuts)

NOTE: You can search for ‘Allergen Icon Matrix’ online to help you display allergen information clearly at your event.

Best Practice for Allergen Management controls for your risk assessment

Collect dietary and allergen information from attendees before the event so you can plan accordingly
Avoid cross-contamination; consider how food is stored, handled, and served
Plan your emergency response; know what to do if someone has an allergic reaction

Bake Sales and Food Stalls

Bake sales are a popular fundraising activity, and they're allowed, as long as you follow the rules below.

Food Hygiene for Bake Sales

Prepare food in a clean, sanitary environment
- Wash hands thoroughly before handling food
- Use clean bowls, utensils, and surfaces
Store and transport baked goods in clean, sealed containers, kept away from raw foods (especially raw meat)
Use individual tongs for each item when handling food to prevent cross-contamination
Pre-package individual portions where possible
Display allergens clearly next to each baked item, and ensure labelling complies with Natasha's Law (see above)

Next Steps and Support

Before your event, make sure you have:

Checked which food options are permitted for your venue
Included food and allergen management in your risk assessment
Collected attendee dietary and allergen information
Ensured all food is correctly labelled in line with Natasha's Law
Obtained and submitted the relevant food hygiene certificates from external suppliers

Still have questions? Check out the rest of our knowledge base articles or submit a ticket to the Activities Team.