I have contacted my local council, told them what we do, and after some discussion with colleagues was told that this could not be described as a food business and as such did not come under any jurisdiction that would require us to register with them. It could well be different in other areas but I am happy to continue what we are currently doing in our own area, that is providing a simple meal after an event and refreshments at checkpoints.

We in the East Lancs are discussing this at the moment. We could do with some info from the Committee. More and more schools and church halls will start demanding such accreditation before allowing their kitchens to be used. Some guidence as to what the basic requirements are would assist us greatly.

as i understand it and i maybe wrong food which is paid for comes under scrutiny but food which is not paid for is less scrutinised such as the food donated for school fetes ect, it could be argued that food such as hotdogs from a tent is free as no money is exchanged and that the entry fee only covers a meal at the end.I would imagine most kitchens that are situated in halls and are already used by the local community will be subjected to regular yearly checks. The church hall i work in has a lunch club where only the cook is required to hold a hygene certificate. Someome from the scouts, ect may know about regulations for cooking from a tent

Thanks for replying so quickly. As I have understood this, the insurance of events isn't the problem, it's the fact that we may have to comply with these new regs if we are providing homemade food. I certainly don't want to provide prepacked sarnies and pies etc, but if we all have to have hygiene certificates and/or kitchen inspections it will put a few tented checkpoints at risk and make life difficult all round. Matthew was told today that the new regs actually only apply to England so far, so I am off the hook until the Welsh Assembly decide to play 'catch up' with Westminster/Brussels or whoever it is that thinks up these things. Jane

Jane, I spoke to Paul Hatcher and his response, as I understand it, is that that LDWA events that inadvertently supply dodgy food are covered under our insurance 'as long as we have taken due care. He would take the issues you raise to form part of any Risk Assessment and adds, 'If we are not careful, we will be down the road of pre-packed everything on checkpoints.' His assumption is that the event you're involved with is arranging its own insurance; if so, you will need to ask what cover for this they have.

Good question, and one that has been Nat Committee-ly (?) recently. Will check out the position.

For my sins, I am helping with the development of a new (not LDWA) walk and have been told that the new food hygiene regulations brought in in Jan 2006 apply to all events where fresh food is provided, whether charged for or not. The Food Standards Agency website is vague and states that we should get in touch with the environmental health service at at our local authority. Have any other walk organisers had any dealings with this? There is the possibility that any helpers doling out prepared food to walkers, will have to have a food hygiene certificate in order to comply. I do not want to approach the EHS in case I open a can of worms (save them for the last one home!) but as I 'volunteer' to do the catering at our club events I'd like to know where I stand. Do we all now have more than a duty of care? Jane Hand