The Hidden Glasgow Forums

Hi all,

My boyfriend has bought a burger van and we want to get it out on the road but we have a few questions and are in need of some advice please……

I know we will have to apply for a license from Glasgow City Council but we wish to have the van mobile to begin with, so would that be a different license we’d have to apply for as we wouldn’t be aiming for a ‘static’ pitch as such?

Also what certificates would we need? Off the top of my head I think Food Hygiene is a fundamental one, but I’m also thinking we may need Health and Safety or First Aid certificates too? I may have omitted a few other certificates so feel free to advise

Finally, Where would be the best locations to go to and/ or eventually set up? I have some idea but was looking for further suggestions

There will be many other questions cropping up as this project continues but we just need a few pointers in the right direction to begin with.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

PS – we live in Glasgow so would ideally like to be mobile in, and eventually set up in Glasgow.

Thanks again

Stock cherry coke and make sure you've got plenty of mushrooms.

BigBird78 wrote:Hi all,

My boyfriend has bought a burger van and we want to get it out on the road but we have a few questions and are in need of some advice please……

.......................
Thanks again

Clever and all as we (well some of us) are there's no substitute for asking the council.


And remember the trick about putting the sauce under the spread so it doesn't squirt out

Get a map of all the building projects going on in Glasgow and turn up at a few of them at regular times of the day (if you are mobile obviously)

Workies like a good reliable source of stodge every day!

1st and formost your van needs

compliance cert
gas cert (qualified engineer)
electrical certs and all items checked and signed off (qualified spark)
then you need to present it all when the van goes for its health certs (glasgow council)

if your van is mobile then you still need a street traders licence but you gotta have a rough idea of the area youll work in, if you or your boyfriend have had any problems with the coppers you may find your licence will be rejected when you go for police checks,

if your staying on a pitch the licence needs to go for consiltation to the public by way of them putting a notice up in the area of the pitch so that people can complain or put there oar in

anybody who works on the van needs to have a food handling and hygene cert from the local food college, must be displayed at all times along with the trade licence so people can see it,
word to the wise though dont try pirateing a pitch cos it will black list you for life even though they claim 6 years, glasgow council are painfull with the time they take for handing out street traders licenses, our last 1 was 3 months due to it being a new pitch and never worked before, dont be tempted to work with out anything as you will pay the reaper when it goes wrong, get the training, get the certs and work safe.
and when you say mobile i take it you mean just towing the van to its pitch
if you manage to get on a site you will still need food handling certs and compliance tests for you and the van, if you need any help or that send me a pm as me and my mate both run building site canteens and run his snack van get yourself a couple of pitches as your 1st choice may have had applications on em but been refused due to the council finding fault with the area, building sites are a good earner but depends on the site and its longevity and how long it will last ideal ones are the commercial sites not the house sites as they opften slow down faster.

i dont mean to put you off but i hope you both realise the work thats involved in running a van im off this week as im waiting on a new site starting up as mine just finished but the hours are pretty long mines and my mates day starts at 5:30AM and sometimes we dont finish till 8PM as you have the stock to get and alot of running around aswell, so hope you both realise the long hours involved and not the ones people think you do, most people think vans are 8am-2pm but infact a good vans owners work way longer hours, when you get yourselfs sorted let me know and ill give ya some addresses for good cash and carrys aswell as places that are value for money or menus and stuff

How helpful was that?

Well played Big Jim.

I have always used this company for hygiene training they are brilliant at all levels www.highfield.co.uk

i would vouch for highfield, simply because my employer uses them for food handling/first aid certificatedness

so you wouldn't just be qualified, but...........qualified

Be careful the local heavys might want £100 a week as well,
speek to doorstop he can help in this department.

I'd be charging a damn site more than 100 bangers.

theres a few places in glasgow that are a total no go for snack vans as the areas are "protected" by some fruitfull people, and these peeps dont charge for protection you just loose yer van and stock, and get sent packing
so do your homework on these areas, but dont go asking questions from other snack van owners they often get shirty bout it

the clydebank district was and still is in the middle of a wee tit for tat over snack vans and take aways that resulted in atleast 3 vans being burnt out on the dumbarton rd so just choose carefully were you work

Don't sell pishy frozen sausages, cos i tell ten to tell ten about such crappy vans....steak slice or else!

The_Clincher wrote:Don't sell pishy frozen sausages, cos i tell ten to tell ten about such crappy vans....steak slice or else!

Yeah it`s usually stinking Belchers sausages at the vans and the shops, you have to ask first

Don't sell burgers so old hat , try the healthy approach sushi is just the thing for workies on a building site

Shardonnay wrote:Don't sell burgers so old hat , try the healthy approach sushi is just the thing for workies on a building site ::):

as long as it's in a roll.