Mobile catering insurance Ireland — what every food + coffee trailer needs
Insurance is one of the cheapest ways to protect a food + coffee trailer business — and one of the most expensive ways to find out you got it wrong. Public liability claims at festivals can run six figures; equipment theft at a parked trailer can wipe out a season; an uninsured allergen incident can close the business permanently. This guide walks through every cover an Irish food trailer needs, what specialist brokers serve the trade, what premiums actually run, and where the common gaps are.
Public liability — €6.5 million is the festival baseline
Public liability covers claims from third parties (customers, public, festival organisers) for injury or property damage caused by your business. The major Irish festival operators (Aiken Promotions, MCD, Festival Republic Ireland) require €6.5 million minimum cover for vendor accreditation — below that you cannot trade at Electric Picnic, Body & Soul, All Together Now, Forbidden Fruit, Indiependence, etc. Some venues + corporate caterers require €10 million. Premiums for €6.5m typically run €350-€900/year for a single trailer with a clean claims record.
Product liability — separate cover for what you serve
Product liability covers claims from food poisoning, allergen reactions, or contamination caused by what you sold. Required separately from public liability — most policies bundle both at the same insurer but check the wording. €2-€5 million is standard. Allergen claims are the highest-frequency category in Ireland; defending one without product liability cover can run €20,000-€100,000+ in legal fees alone before any settlement.
Employers liability — €13 million if you have ANY staff
Irish law requires €13 million employers liability cover if you employ ANYONE — including your spouse helping out at festival weekends, or a casual student staffer doing busy-Saturdays. The €13m floor is statutory, not optional; trading without it carries personal director liability. Premium: €200-€600/year per insured employee.
Motor + transit cover — your tow + the trailer
Standard car insurance does NOT cover a commercial trailer in transit. You need either: (1) a separate trade-vehicle policy on the tow vehicle that explicitly includes trailer-towing, or (2) a fleet policy if you run multiple trailers. Costs €600-€1,800/year on top of personal motor cover. The trailer itself also needs a transit-cover policy (covers theft + damage during towing) at €150-€400/year, sometimes bundled into the equipment-cover policy.
Equipment cover — for the espresso machine + fryer + generator
Standard public liability does NOT cover damage to + theft of YOUR equipment. Equipment cover is a separate add-on — typical sum insured €15,000-€60,000 covering espresso machine + grinder + fryers + generator + refrigeration + onboard furniture. Premium 1-3% of insured value annually. Pay attention to "agreed value" vs "indemnity value" — agreed-value pays out the full amount on a claim, indemnity reduces for depreciation.
Business interruption — keeps you trading after a loss
Business interruption cover pays out lost income while you rebuild after an insured event (fire, theft, write-off). Worth carrying for trailers earning €2,000+/week — premium typically 0.5-1% of annual turnover. Festival caterers carrying season-dependent revenue should specifically check that BI covers seasonal projections, not pro-rata averages.
Specialist Irish brokers + typical annual premiums
Irish brokers actively serving the food + coffee trailer trade: O'Driscoll O'Neil (Limerick + Dublin), Aviva Trade Direct, Allianz Trade, Coleman Insurance (Cork), Brennan Insurances (Galway), McCann Mobile Catering (Dublin). Always get 3 quotes for a new policy + at renewal. Typical Irish food trailer total annual premium (PL+PD+EL+motor+equipment+BI): €1,200-€3,500 for a small operator running 1-2 festivals + weekend pitches; €2,500-€5,500 for a high-volume year-round trader.
Common gaps + cliff edges to check
Things insurers commonly EXCLUDE without you noticing: equipment cover during overnight storage in non-secure locations (your own driveway often counts as "non-secure"); employer liability for unpaid family helpers; product liability when allergen disclosure paperwork is missing or out of date; theft from an unattached trailer parked unattended; damage during loading/unloading at festivals. Read the policy schedule + exclusions, not just the certificate. Most Irish brokers will sit down for an hour to walk you through gaps if you ask.
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