A kitchen, for example, can be a potentially dangerous place in which to work. Sharp knives and hot pans do not always fall into safe human hands, however professional the staff or careful the owner’s health and safety regime. But if an accident happens in the kitchen and a member of staff is injured, the employing owner of the restaurant can be held liable and obliged to pay damages for those injuries. Employers’ liability insurance is, therefore, not only highly desirable, it is typically a legal requirement and the employer can face fines of up to £2,500 for every day that such cover is not in place.

But it is not only the staff who can hold the restaurant to blame for injuries or damage to their property. Customers and other members of the public can claim the restaurant’s liability when accidents happen. Even when allegations of fault are pretty well groundless and the disgruntled customer is simply dissatisfied with his meal, a damages claim can lead to time-consuming and costly legal proceedings that need defending. High on the list for appropriate restaurant insurance, therefore, is adequate public liability insurance.

A restaurant is nothing if not for the food it has to offer. This is your stock in trade and will need protecting against deterioration and loss. Fire, flooding, theft, power cuts – these are all perils against which restaurant insurance is designed to protect those vital ingredients to your menu.

Whilst the stock is important, the restaurant itself is likely to have had many thousands of pounds spent on its decoration and fitting-out. Once again, fire, flooding or acts of vandalism or malicious damage can reduce that investment to nothing overnight. Adequate insurance for the premises is an important element of restaurant insurance, therefore.

Should your restaurant fall victim to any such disasters, there will be comfort in knowing that some financial compensation is payable for the inevitable disruption of business. Most restaurant insurance policies, therefore also include cover to compensate for such disruption.

There are a number of restaurant insurance packages on the market which cover some or all of the above principal headings. A specialist insurance adviser will be able to help you choose between the varying packages and help you to select the one most appropriate to your own restaurant business.