Level 2 Food Hygiene Course for Catering

Anyone who works in catering or hospitality needs to be aware of the latest food hygiene standards.

Knowing how to clean and disinfect equipment, safely store and prepare food, and control common pests will allow you to handle food safely and ensure that you’re complying with all of the relevant health and safety standards.

Our popular Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene for Catering course has been re-designed and includes all the latest legislation, information and up-to-date guidance.

We also offer sector-specific Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene Certificates for: Manufacturing | Drinks Manufacturers | Retail.

This Level 2 Food Safety & Hygiene Certificate for Catering course satisfies a food handler’s legal obligation to undertake appropriate food safety training.

A sound knowledge of the latest food safety principles will also improve the quality of your product or service whether you’re a self-employed caterer, a chef, a waiter, or any other role within the catering industry.

This RoSPA Assured Level 2 Food Hygiene course is designed to provide an individual or an organisation with the very latest food safety and hygiene training. Alongside information dedicated to explaining the basics of food hygiene, it contains lessons dedicated to:

• Food safety hazards and contamination
• Food preservation
• Storage and temperature control
• Legislation that governs food handling
• Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)

We've completely refreshed our Level 2 Food Hygiene for Catering course with the latest guidance and legislation. Learn through bite-sized modules that fit around your schedule, with interactive content that brings food safety to life. Whether you're new to catering or updating your skills, you'll gain practical knowledge you can use straight away in your kitchen.

Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene for Catering Certificate

At the end of this food hygiene course, you will need to complete a test 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.

Posted & Digital Food Hygiene Certificate

Upon completing the food and hygiene course, learners will be able to download a digital food hygiene certificate from Virtual College. If you have bought the posted food hygiene certificate option, a high quality, seal embossed, certificate will be sent out the following working week after completion.

This certification 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 certificate 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 online food hygiene course is not a formal RQF food safety & hygiene qualification, the levels only indicate the type of food and hygiene course so that businesses can choose whom it is suitable for.

Do you own a catering business? Ensure your food safety compliance 

As a food business owner, you're legally required to make sure all your food handlers have appropriate food safety training. After all, proper food hygiene training protects your customers, your reputation and your business. Virtual College makes doing that simple.

Our Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene for Catering Certificate gives your staff the essential skills they need to handle food safely and meet UK legal requirements. But different roles need different levels of training. Here's what we recommend:

• Front-line food handlers | Level 2 Food Hygiene

Perfect for chefs, kitchen assistants, waiters and anyone who handles food directly. This course covers all the basics of safe food handling, storage and preparation.

• Supervisors and managers | Level 3 Food Safety and Hygiene

For kitchen managers, head chefs and supervisors. Dive deeper into food safety management systems, staff training and maintaining high standards across your team.

• New starters | Level 1 Food Safety and Hygiene

A great introduction for new staff or anyone who needs food safety awareness but doesn't handle food directly. Also useful for business owners who want to understand the fundamentals.

Make training your kitchen staff simple

Keep your catering business fully compliant with our all-access training subscription. Beyond food hygiene, your team needs to understand health and safety, manual handling, first aid awareness and fire safety - we've got it all covered in one place, including access to our free online courses.

Perfect for catering businesses, our subscription includes:

• Complete food safety suite (Level 1-3)
• Manual handling for catering staff
• Fire safety training
• Essential first aid training
• COSHH training for cleaning and sanitising

One straightforward subscription gives each team member unlimited access to these courses plus 200+ others including the food hygiene certificate level 2.

Find out more about our training subscription

Legislation covered in this course includes:

If you’re working in the hospitality or service industry, you will need to comply with the latest food and hygiene regulations. This Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate 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. 

The contents of this course also adhere to the Industry Standards set by People 1st and the Sector Skills Council for the Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism industries.