What is a Primary Authority?

If you run a food or drink business in the UK, staying compliant with regulations can sometimes feel confusing, especially when advice seems to vary depending on which local authority you’re dealing with. That’s where a Primary Authority comes in.

A Primary Authority is designed to remove that uncertainty, giving businesses clear, consistent regulatory advice they can rely on. In this blog, we’ll explain what a Primary Authority is, how it works, and why it’s such a valuable benefit for NCASS members.

What is a Primary Authority?

A Primary Authority is a statutory partnership between a business (or group of businesses) and a UK local authority. This partnership allows the local authority to provide assured regulatory advice that applies across all the local authority areas in which the business operates.

The scheme is backed by legislation and overseen by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS). Crucially, advice issued through a Primary Authority must be respected by other local authorities, helping ensure consistency in how regulations are applied and enforced.

Primary Authorities are commonly used in areas such as:

• Food safety and hygiene
• Health and safety
• Trading standards
• Age-restricted sales

Why does a Primary Authority matter?

Without a Primary Authority, businesses can receive different interpretations of the same regulations from different councils. For businesses that trade across multiple locations – such as street food traders, caterers, event traders or mobile operators – this can lead to confusion, delays and unnecessary stress.

A Primary Authority helps by:

• Providing a single, trusted source of advice
• Reducing conflicting guidance from different councils
• Giving confidence that your approach to compliance is correct
• Supporting smoother interactions with enforcement officers

In short, it helps businesses understand what’s expected of them and reduces the risk of getting things wrong.

What is assured advice?

Assured advice is formal guidance issued by a Primary Authority that has been reviewed and approved under the scheme. Once in place, other local authorities are expected to follow that advice when working with the business.

This means that if you are operating in line with assured advice, you have reassurance that you are meeting regulatory expectations, even if you trade in different parts of the country.

Primary Authority and NCASS membership

All NCASS members are covered by NCASS’s Primary Authority partnership. This means that, as part of your membership, you benefit from consistent, reliable regulatory guidance backed by a local authority, without needing to set up your own individual Primary Authority agreement.

For NCASS members, this provides:

• Access to expert, assured advice on key compliance areas
• Greater clarity when dealing with local authorities and enforcement officers
• Reduced compliance risk and fewer misunderstandings
• Confidence that you’re following best practice, wherever you trade

It’s one of the core ways NCASS supports members to navigate complex regulations with confidence.

Who is a Primary Authority most useful for?

While any business can benefit from consistent advice, a Primary Authority is particularly valuable for:

• Street food and mobile traders
• Event and festival caterers
• Businesses operating across multiple local authority areas
• Growing businesses looking to scale safely and compliantly

For these businesses, having one clear source of guidance can make day-to-day operations significantly smoother.

Getting compliance right first time

At its core, the Primary Authority scheme is about helping businesses get compliance right first time. Instead of reacting to conflicting advice or enforcement challenges, businesses can take a proactive, informed approach to meeting their legal responsibilities.

Through NCASS membership, that support is built in, giving you reassurance, clarity and expert backing so you can focus on running and growing your business.