Food caterers primarily provide food and drinks catering for specific events under contract.

Characteristics Of Food Caterers
Statistics & Trends
Government Programmes & Assistance
Licences & Permits
Laws & Regulations
National Events & Competitions
Trade Associations
Key Government Agencies

Characteristics Of Food Caterers

• Food caterers primarily provide food catering services. Typically, services are provided:
  
  
  • for a specific event
  • under contract for a specific period of time
    
    
• Food and beverages supplied may be:
  
  
  • collected by customers
  • delivered to customers
  • served to customers at a specific location
    
    
• Food and beverages may be prepared at:
  
  
  • F&B outlets (e.g. restaurants/coffee shops)
  • central kitchens

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Statistics & Trends

• Food caterers have a high profitability ratio (17.5%) compared to the entire industry. Here are some statistics and trends that you may be interested in:
  
  
  • Overview Of The F&B Industry
    The F&B sector, including food caterers, contributed S$1.7 billion or 0.7% to Singapore’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2007.
    
    
  • Snapshot: Food Caterers
    A snapshot of the number of establishments, number of workers, operating receipts, profitability ratio, etc.
    
    
• For more statistics and trends, please refer to the F&B Industry Statistics & Trends section.

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Government Programmes & Assistance

• Food caterers can tap into most of the programmes and assistance available to F&B establishments. For a full list of these, please refer to the F&B Programmes & Assistance section.

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Licences & Permits

Essential Licences And Licence Compliance For Food Caterers

• The licences or permits you need will depend on your set up.
  If you are preparing food and beverages at a restaurant, the restaurant must have a Food Shop Licence.
  
  If you are preparing or cooking food at a central kitchen, you may need to obtain a Food Processing Establishment Licence or Factory Registration.
  
  
• Each of these licences has conditions that you must comply with. For instance, Food Shop Licensees must ensure that all food handlers are registered with the National Environment Agency (NEA).
  
  
• For details, please refer to:
  
  
  • Licences & Permits for Operating F&B Outlets
  • Licences & Permits for Operating Central Kitchens

Other Licences & Permits For F&B-Related Activities

• You must obtain licences or permits to carry on certain activities. These activities, typically carried out by food caterers, require licences or permits:
  
  
  • importing processed food (e.g. food ingredients)
  • importing food containers (e.g. spoons and plastic bowls)
  • selling liquor (e.g. alcoholic beverages)
  • storing or transporting petroleum/flammable materials
    
    
• For a list of activities and the corresponding licences or permits required, please refer to the F&B Licences & Permits section.

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Laws & Regulations

• The laws & regulations that apply specifically to you will depend on your set up. If you are preparing/cooking food and beverage at a restaurant, you must comply with all the laws & regulations relating to restaurants.
  
  
• Different laws & regulations apply to restaurants, hawker stalls, central kitchens, etc. For more information, please refer to the F&B Laws & Regulations section.

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National Events & Competitions

• Food caterers may want to participate in national events and competitions to raise their profile among consumers and boost sales. For details, please refer to the F&B National Events & Competitions section.

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Trade Associations

• These trade associations are open to food caterers and/or their employees. They also work with the Government in a variety of ways to bolster the F&B industry.
  
  
  • Food & Beverage Managers Association (FBMA)
    Restaurant managers and executives may wish to join FBMA.
    
    
  • Singapore Chefs Association (SCA)
    Chefs of food caterers may wish to join SCA.
    
    
• For a list of F&B-related trade associations who work with the Government, please refer to the F&B Trade Associations section.

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Key Government Agencies

• There are several Government agencies involved in the F&B industry. To learn more about each one of them and their role in the F&B industry, please refer to the Role of Key Government Agencies in the F&B section.

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