• Private event / festival with an organiser - you sign a contract with the organiser and pay for the pitch. The organiser usually sets the conditions (power, water, hours). They often require proof of liability insurance and the Sanepid decision.
• Public land (square, park, roadside) - you need a permit from the site manager (usually the municipal office), even if someone else organises the event.
• Private land (car park, square by a mall) - a contract with the landowner.

The festival organiser's consent gives you a pitch - but it does not exempt you from sanitary requirements or, where required, from a permit to occupy the site. Those are two different things.

Water at an event - the most common problem

In the field, water is the bottleneck. The inspector will check whether you have potable water for washing hands and produce, and a place for wastewater. Typical traps:

• A clean-water tank that is too small - it runs out mid-day, and without hot water for hand washing you cannot legally work.
• No wastewater tank - wastewater must go into a tank of at least the same capacity as the clean-water tank, not "onto the ground nearby".
• Water from an uncertain source - connecting to a random tap at a festival can be problematic; make sure it is potable water.

The water and hand-washing requirements in the vehicle are laid out in detail in water and hand washing in a food truck.

HACCP in the field - what must travel with the vehicle

At an event the inspector wants to see that your system works away from base too. Bring with you:

• the HACCP/GHP/GMP documentation (a binder or electronic copy is fine),
• records - fridge temperature, cleaning and disinfection, goods receipt - kept up to date, including on the event day,
• staff sanitary-epidemiological clearances,
• the Sanepid decision approving the vehicle.

Heat and the cold chain

Festivals are often mid-summer. The fridge in the vehicle works harder, and deliveries lose cold easily on the way. Measure temperatures more often than at base and record them. How to control cold in the heat (this also covers meat and ice cream) is laid out in the cold chain in summer.

The most common mistakes at an event

1. Organiser's consent instead of a site permit. On public land a contract with the organiser alone may not be enough.
2. Too little water reserve. Running out of hot water for hand washing = a stop to legal work.
3. The documentation stayed at base. The inspector at the event wants to see it here and now.
4. "I'll fill in the records later." You have to measure and record on the event day too.
5. No proof of liability insurance. Many organisers require it as a condition of taking part.

FAQ

Do I have to register with Sanepid in every town where I attend a festival?

No. You register the establishment with one Sanepid - for your business address. But remember that an inspector from any region can check you at an event, so the documentation and records must travel with the vehicle.

Is the festival organiser's consent enough to trade?

The organiser's consent gives you a pitch, but it does not replace sanitary requirements or - on public land - a permit to occupy the site. Check who is responsible for the site and what conditions apply.

How much water must I have at an event?

Enough to provide hot water for hand washing and water for produce throughout the day, plus a wastewater tank of at least the same capacity as the clean-water tank. The specific capacities depend on your menu and footfall - plan with a margin.

HACCP documentation that travels with the food truck

At an event there is no time to hunt for a missing record. The Fundament package from GastroReady is ready HACCP, GHP and GMP documentation for a food truck - with records and PL/EN instructions you take with you in a binder and show the inspector on site.