How to find the right catering insurance
Catering insurance is a term for a group of insurance policies that are important to food service businesses. People also call it insurance for catering businesses, food service insurance, or food liability insurance. These policies protect food service businesses from many types of risk—things like employee injuries, injuries to customers and other non-employees, liability from accidents in company-owned vehicles, and more.
What kind of insurance does a caterer need? That depends on the services you offer, the size of your company, and how public-facing you are. Thinking about all these factors helps you get the right policies and ensures you don’t pay for unnecessary coverage.
Read on to learn more about catering insurance!
Catering insurance policies
At biBerk, we offer six types of insurance for catering businesses to protect food service businesses:
- Workers’ Compensation insurance for caterers. This type of catering insurance coverage protects your business if an employee gets hurt, contracts an illness, or dies as a result of an on-the-job incident. For example, if a cook suffers a severe burn while working in the kitchen, it can cover medical costs, legal fees, and lost wages due to the injury.
- General Liability insurance for caterers. This catering company insurance policy covers injuries to non-employees, damage to other peoples’ property, slander, libel, and copyright infringement. If, for instance, your catering crew accidentally starts a fire that causes damage at a customer’s house, this catering insurance policy could cover repair costs.
- Business Owners Policy (BOP) for caterers. Also called property & liability insurance, a BOP combines general liability insurance with coverage for company property. It’s a convenient way to get wide-ranging coverage in one policy. Damage to your catering equipment for example, can be covered by this type of caterers insurance.
- Commercial Auto insurance for caterers. This form of catering insurance covers company-owned or leased vehicles, since personal auto insurance policies don’t provide coverage in many work-related scenarios. For example, this policy can protect you if your employee is at fault in a vehicle accident while delivering food in a covered company delivery van or if your food truck is damaged.
- Umbrella insurance for caterers. Liability insurance policies all have a maximum amount they will pay. Umbrella insurance for a catering company can pay the difference (up to its own limit) if a claim exceeds the limit of the underlying policy. This insurance policy can kick in if, for example, the cost of an injury to your customer is more than your biBerk general liability policy will cover.
- Cyber insurance for caterers. Purchased as an add-on to a general liability policy or BOP, this insurance covers costs associated with data security breaches where fraud has occurred or is likely to occur. For example, it can help caterers and food businesses if a hacker steals customer credit card information.
You can also add what are called endorsements to catering company insurance policies. For example, both general liability policies and BOPs can have add-ons like hired and non-owned auto liability, employment-related practices liability, and employee benefits liability.
What does catering insurance cost?
You can determine your food service insurance cost by getting free, self-service, online quotes for the policies you need. Your total catering insurance cost will depend on the types of policies you purchase and the amount of coverage you choose, as well as factors like the size of your business, where it’s located, and your claims history.
With biBerk, after getting your online insurance quote, you can purchase your caterer insurance policies online, too. And if you have questions, our licensed insurance experts are happy to answer them.
Who turns to biBerk for catering insurance?
biBerk is the catering insurance provider of choice for many catering business professionals like you.
Independent caterers and small catering business owners
Owners with smaller catering operations look to us for essential protection for their businesses. They know we can help them understand their insurance requirements and compliance issues. When talking with them, we share real-world scenarios that illustrate why they need to carry the right types and amounts of insurance. Once they have the necessary policies, they can focus on their craft with confidence!
Established catering companies and event planners
Growing catering companies and event planning professionals appreciate that we provide comprehensive coverage for the various business risks they face. We work with them as they learn about and navigate complex insurance requirements, like if they start serving alcohol. With the right insurance coverage and good risk management practices, they can minimize incidents that could lead to insurance claims and maintain an excellent industry reputation, opening the door to more business.
Institutional caterers
Businesses that provide catering services on a larger scale rely on us for guidance on addressing their financial protection. Our licensed insurance experts help them understand their operational risks and compliance challenges and how to address them. Carrying the appropriate catering insurance helps ensure their long-term stability and gives them a solid foundation for growth.
Get catering insurance from a company you can trust.
Business coverage like catering company insurance helps shield your company from unexpected expenses. Having adequate coverage protects you financially and provides powerful peace of mind so you can focus on running your catering business.
So, where you buy your insurance is important. You want to work with a professional, reliable company that understands catering company insurance and has the financial resources to stand behind you if you need to make a claim.
biBerk is part of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Insurance Group with millions of satisfied customers, more than 75 years of insurance experience, and $52.2 billion in paid claims in 2023. When you get your catering insurance from biBerk, you know you’re working with a company you can count on.
Catering insurance frequently asked questions
What is catering business insurance?
Catering business insurance protects caterers from risks such as liability claims, foodborne illnesses, property damage, and business interruptions.
How is insurance for a catering business different from general business insurance?
Catering insurance is tailored to the food service industry, covering unique risks like food contamination, allergic reactions, and venue-related liabilities that standard business insurance may not include.
Is insurance for catering businesses mandatory?
While it might not be legally required, many venues, clients, and event organizers require caterers to carry liability insurance before hiring them.
What does a catering business insurance policy cover?
Coverage is provided in separate policies for different risks, including general liability, commercial auto, workers’ compensation, and liquor liability (if alcohol is served).
How much does catering insurance cost?
Costs for policies vary depending on factors such as insurance type, business size, coverage levels, and location. Pricing is influenced by the specific risks associated with your catering operations and the types of coverage selected. You can get insurance quotes online.