Level 3 Food Hygiene Training Course in Catering
Buying more than 10 courses?
Our volume discounts are perfect for training teams, you can mix and match most of our courses to make a saving on your order!
10% off orders of 10 or more courses
20% off orders of 25 or more courses
30% off orders of 50 or more courses
40% off orders of 100 or more courses
Level 3 Food Safety and Hygiene in Catering is a RoSPA Assured course suitable for anyone managing and supervising food handlers in a catering and hospitality environment. You will learn how to develop and maintain an effective HACCP system, alongside how to define food safety hazards and hygiene risks, and more.
This course meets UK/EU Food Hygiene Training requirements.
Course Level: Level 3
Duration: 8-9 Hours (13 Modules)
Accreditation: RoSPA Assured, CPD Certified
Certificate: Posted Certificate
Last Updated: 7th January 2026
Description
Anyone who oversees food production specifically within a catering setting needs to be aware of all food safety and hygiene standards, including how to effectively manage staff to minimise risk. It is recommended that catering premises should have at least one person trained to Level 3 in food hygiene and safety - particularly if they are in charge of other staff, and are responsible for their training.
We also offer Level 3 Food Hygiene for Supervisors in manufacturing and retail.
It is also recommended that everyone working with or handling food has a Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene certificate – we offer these for catering, manufacturing, retail, and drinks manufacturers.
Understanding how hazards can occur in catering businesses and what problems they can create, alongside how to make an effective HACCP plan, and how to keep your site in good condition are just some of the factors needed to uphold satisfactory health and safety standards as a supervisor in catering.
This Level 3 Food Hygiene and Safety for Catering online course satisfies a food handler’s legal obligation to undertake appropriate food safety training, as well as building on the safety principles explained in the Level 2 and Level 1 Food Safety and Hygiene course.
Who should take this course and why?
As a business owner or supervisor, you have a duty to comply with the provisions of Regulation (EC) 852/2004 of the European Parliament on the Hygiene of Foodstuffs, the Food Safety Act 1990, and the Food Hygiene Regulations 2005.
Level 3 Food Hygiene training is suitable for those who work, train or supervise others in food handling after completing the Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene course, including but not limited to, food establishment owners, restaurant managers, catering managers, café supervisors, publican / pub landlords, street food traders, school lunch time supervisors and head chefs.
Training is required for anyone who works in an environment where food is prepared or handled such as bakeries, restaurants, bars, fish and chip shops, food trucks, butchers, schools, fast food outlets, takeaways, colleges, hospitals, hotels, B&B’s, cruises, holiday parks, hostels, guest houses and anywhere else food is being handled.
Legislation covered
If you’re working in the hospitality or service industry as a supervisor, you will need to comply with the latest food and hygiene regulations.
This Level 3 Food Hygiene and Safety in Catering course is designed to help you comply with EU Regulation 852/2004, which requires food businesses to ensure that any employee who handles food is fully trained in food hygiene, and for you to be able to train or supervise others within the industry.
The contents of this course were developed in accordance of the Environmental Health Officer's guidelines, and also adheres to the Industry Standards set by People 1st and the Sector Skills Council for the Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism industries.
Level 3 Food Safety and Hygiene For Supervisors Certificate
At the end of this Level 3 Food Safety in Catering course, you will need to complete an assessment that consists of 30 multiple choice questions. Learners are required to achieve a 75% pass mark, and - if necessary - may attempt the test three times at no extra cost. If learners do not achieve the 75% pass mark, further attempts may be given by contacting our support team.
Upon completing this Level 3 Food Hygiene course online, learners will be able to download a digital food hygiene certificate, which is RoSPA Assured, from Virtual College. A high quality, seal embossed, posted certificate will be sent out the following working week.
This Level 3 Food Hygiene certificate is universally recognised and can be used to provide evidence of food hygiene and safety training both internally and to external auditors.
There is no set time for how long a food hygiene certificate level 3 is valid for, but the accepted industry standard is for food hygiene certificates to be renewed every three years. However, some employers may require you to renew your certification more frequently than this.
This course is not a formal RQF food safety & hygiene qualification, the levels only indicate the type of course so that businesses can choose whom it is suitable for.
Course duration
The Level 3 Food Safety and Hygine course should take 8-9 hours to complete, but this depends entirely on how quickly each individual learns and absorbs the study material.
As the course is self-paced and progress is recorded throughout, learners can complete the training in stages.
Entry requirements
There are no specific entry requirements for this course.
What you'll learn
- Understand their role in the supervision of food handlers when it comes to food safety and hygiene
- Be able to define food safety hazards, hygiene risks and understand how they may be prevented and controlled
- Know how to develop and maintain an effective HACCP system
- Understand how to prevent food-borne illness and the impact of this from a personal and a legal responsibility
Suitable for
- Senior Manager
- Senior Bar Manager
- Senior Hotel Manager
- Senior Café Manager
- Senior Takeaway Manager
- Anyone supervising or managing others handling food
Course Structure
This provides an overview of food hygiene terminology, alongside why food safety and hygiene is important, food contamination, foodborne illnesses, and the benefits of good food safety practices.
Certification
Upon completion of any of our courses, learners will be able to download a digital certificate from Virtual College which will include the accrediting bodies logo where applicable, the learner's name, the title of the course and the date of completion.
If you have purchased the posted certificate option, available on selected courses, a high quality, seal embossed, certificate will be sent out by Royal Mail delivery.

Self-Printed Certificate Option
Upon completion of the course, a digital certificate will be available to download instantly.
Posted Certificate option
A high quality, seal embossed, certificate will be sent out at the beginning of the next working week.
Recommended renewal: 3 years
Whilst none of our certificates have an expiry date it is strongly recommended that the training is completed every three years. This is based on industry best practice to ensure awareness and knowledge of the latest guidance and legislation.
Frequently Asked Questions
By the end of the Level 3 Catering online course, learners will:
- Understand their role in the supervision of food handlers when it comes to food safety and hygiene
- Be able to define food safety hazards, hygiene risks and understand how they may be prevented and controlled
- Recognise the importance of thorough preparation and cooking of food to eliminate dangerous viruses and bacteria
- Understand how to prevent foodborne illness, and the impact of this from a personal and a legal responsibility
- Know how to develop and maintain an effective HACCP system
- Know how to preserve food safely and hygienically
- Understand how to keep premises and equipment clean
- Know how to control contamination through safe temperatures and storage
- Know how to ensure that staff keep a good standard of personal hygiene
- Understand how to keep the workplace hygienic and safe for food preparation, cooking and storage
Recent Reviews
15th July 2026
Good easy website to use
Good easy website to use. The course had lots of information.
13th July 2026
Good online training course
Good online training course
13th July 2026
Good clear information
Good clear information in the course. Options to watch a video or read a transcript was good in modules.
13th July 2026
Exellent food hygiene courseI completed the Food Hygiene course with Virtual College and it was excellent. The modules were clear, easy to follow and full of useful information. The videos and quizzes
I got my certificate quickly and the support team was helpful. Highly recommend Virtual College!
12th July 2026
Excellent I loved it
Excellent I loved it
9th July 2026
Simple,straightforward
Simple,straightforward
7th July 2026
I recently completed the Food Hygiene…
I recently completed the Food Hygiene course and found it very informative and easy to follow. The course explained important food safety practices clearly, including proper food handling, storage, cleaning, and preventing cross-contamination. The content was well-structured and practical, making it relevant for anyone working with food. I feel much more confident in understanding my responsibilities for maintaining high hygiene standards. Overall, I would highly recommend this course to anyone looking to improve their food safety knowledge.
4th July 2026
Course was very in depth and brought…
Course was very in depth and brought out all salient points without it being too difficult to take in. I know this was an online course but it would be good if you could buy printed book detailing all that is on the course. This would make for easy reference when needed.
4th July 2026
Easy to buy
Easy to buy, easy to navigate, reasonably priced
4th July 2026
Excellent training Safeguarding Level 3
Excellent training, so easy to follow and not the long laborious questions in the assessment. Look forward to starting another soon.
Excellent
4.8 out of 5
16371 Reviews on

)
)
)
)
)
)