Insurance you can trust

Get covered in 3 easy steps

What our customers say about Apricot Insurance

Restaurant insurance NI

If you run a restaurant in Northern Ireland, we appreciate how busy you are. We also know how many different aspects of your business you need your restaurant insurance to cover in order to protect your business. So, let our fast, independent service save you time by finding you suitable commercial insurers in just a few clicks. 

Is restaurant insurance compulsory in Northern Ireland?

No, it’s not compulsory in NI but the individual covers within a restaurant insurance policy either are compulsory or are highly recommended. 

What type of insurance does a restaurant need in Northern Ireland?

To protect your restaurant, staff and customers you’ll need an insurance policy that offers:

* Cover for your building, contents and stock

* Public liability

* Personal accident cover

* Employers liability

* Loss of licence cover

* Business interruption cover

You might also like to add on other useful cover, such as glass and money on the premises.

Don’t forget though, you need a different type of policy if your restaurant is unoccupied (the length of time will be dictated by your insurance company). 

Why do I need public liability and personal accident cover?

You need them both because they cover two very different things.

Public liability will cover you if your restaurant causes harm to one of your customers. If a customer slips on a spilled drink on your floor, or gets sick having eaten your food, public liability steps in to cover you.

Personal accident offers protection to anyone within your business who you have chosen to cover. If one of these named people is hurt in the restaurant or anywhere else, personal accident cover protects you from the costs associated with the accident and with that person not being able to work. 

What sort of things affect the cost of NI restaurant insurance?

In Northern Ireland, the key factors which determine how much you’ll pay are your opening hours, your number of seats, whether you offer functions and the type of licence you have. 

What type of food business benefits from restaurant insurance?

If you’re selling food in Northern Ireland, whether it be in a cafe, a mobile unit, a takeaway, pub, bistro or restaurant, you’d benefit from restaurant insurance. You never know what may happen in the future. 

I have several food premises, can they all be included under the same NI restaurant insurance policy?

Yes, that’s nearly always possible.  Some businesses have an entire chain of restaurants all covered by the same restaurant insurance policy.

However, different types of commercial properties need different insurance policies, for example shop insurance would different from restaurant insurance. 

I have rooms above my restaurant which I use as a bed and breakfast. Will this side of my business be covered?

No. Only the traditional aspects of the functioning of restaurant will be covered by restaurant insurance. If you want to include rooms or leisure facilities these will need separate cover. 

Are there any security measures that would bring the cost of my NI based restaurant insurance down?

In addition to the measures you’d implement for any other commercial building (such as security alarms and CCTV), fitting kitchen safety equipment that complies with the regulations and legislation in Northern Ireland can help reduce your insurance costs. This makes investing in equipment like sprinklers and condenser canopies a great idea!