Butcher shop insurance that’s a cut above

Despite the best efforts of any good butcher, the world can throw up problems, bad things can happen, some common and some very unusual and having the right insurance in place is critical.

Comprehensive insurance is essential to protect your butchery business all year round. Cover for those unforeseen incidents relating to your products, machinery, services, staff or even yourself, ranging from a slip on the floor to damage to property.

It gives you confidence that if you need to make a claim your insurer will help you replace broken items and offer protection from large pay-outs, helping your butcher shop to get back up and running as quickly as possible.

What cover do you need for your independent Butcher shop?

Employers’ liability, public liability and product liability covers are all important for protecting your business, but what other cover might you need when running an independent butcher shop?

Must have

If you employ staff, even seasonal ones, it is a legal requirement to have Employers Liability Insurance, providing cover for butcher shop owners against the impact if an employee is injured or suffered illness as a result of working for you. If you are found legally liable for the injury, your insurance would pay the damages, including claimant's costs and expenses.

If you do not have Employers Liability, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)can fine you £2,500 for each day you don’t have it, with a further £1,000 daily fine for not displaying it.

Nice to have

Public Liability

Your butcher shop, no matter the size, is all about your customers, and as a good independent business owner you look to offer a clean, safe, well-kept, and managed business. Public liability provides protection by covering you if a customer, local farm visitor or member of the public claims to have been injured or have their property damaged as a result of your business activities. Having robust public liability reflects the care and attention you have for both customers and your business. This cover would pay the damages, including claimant's costs and expenses.

If you host small local events or attend farmers markets to support your business and community, it’s wise to check for Public Liability cover that includes this, even the most innocuous seeming slip could lead to catastrophic injuries which are very costly, so having a good level of protection here is key for peace of mind.

Expression Insurance packages start at £2m Public Liability, increasing to £5m Public Liability cover for medium and large butcher shops.

Product Liability

The minute you start selling and serving your products you’re at risk for product liability claims, which can be very expensive and time consuming for you and your business.

If a member of the public (most likely one of your customers) is injured or their property damaged by one of the products you have served or sold, such as pre-made pies, meat or eggs, and you are found legally liable, peace of mind is provided by product liability as it pays the damages, including claimant's costs and expenses.

Stock Cover

Insures the cost of replacing your stock if it is damaged. Remember, here is where flexibility is key when planning your stock cover, especially in the run-up to holidays such as Christmas and Easter, ensuring you not only have the level of cover required for normal trading but also ample cover during your seasonal peaks, preventing being under insured.

Expression Insurance insure the cost of replacing your stock if it is damaged. Common reasons for a claim include fire, theft and flood and as standard the sum insured by, in respect of stock in trade, is increased each Period of Insurance by,

25% during the months of November and December although these can be easily altered to reflect your business peaks

25% for a period of 15 days preceding and including any Bank or Public Holidays and for a period of 15 days thereafter other than occurring in the point above

Contents Cover

Butcher blocks, bone saws and knives are essential tools of the butcher’s trade and contents cover provides peace of mind and insures the cost of replacing your equipment, furniture, shelving, racking and all other contents (excluding stock) at the premises if they are damaged due to fire, theft, and flood.

Goods in Transit

With the rise in delivery services offered by local independent butchers, goods in transit cover provides financial protection for goods on the move, covering the cost of goods damaged in transit or during loading /unloading.

Theft by employees

Independent butcher shops tend to have very good employees who are invested in the business however, if you were to encounter a bad egg Theft by Employee cover will help to protect you for a loss of money or property resulting from any acts of fraud or dishonesty by any of your employees.

Legal cover

With staff comes the potential for grievances and if you want to protect your butcher shop from employment, property, or tax disputes, Legal Cover provides support and guidance. As an Expression Insurance customer you would have free access to online legal services, document templates and Health & Safety statements.

Frozen food & business interruption cover

Keeping your butcher shop doors open, and tills ringing is a priority, look at cover provided if your business is forced to close,

o Frozen food (Deterioration of stock) provides cover if freezers or refrigerators were to fail due to a power cut, or the unit develops a fault with its temperature controls and the food was ruined as a result.

o Business Interruption Insurance provides cover if your business is forced to close as a result of damage caused by one of the insured perils (fire / flood / storm / impact from a vehicle / escape of water).

Business Electronics

Insures the cost of replacing, repairing, or restoring your computer and electronic equipment.

Computer and business records

Payment for damage to documents, manuscripts, business books and computer system records

Money & Assault

Protects you against theft of money in various scenarios

Book debts

Covers if your accounts, business books or records are damaged, most commonly from a fire or flood

How do you prevent being underinsured?

Underinsurance occurs if the sum insured does not provide enough to cover the cost of damage or loss to items listed under your policy in the event of a claim.

Revaluating your butcher shop insurance ensures you have enough cover in place should a claim arise, and the confidence that, should anything happen, the financial cost will be met, and you won’t have to cover any shortfall yourself. Consider things like,

· Has your stock and/or contents increased from the previous year?

· Due to success and growth of your butcher shop has the number of employees increased?

· Has the value of your building increased?

· Are you planning to host small local events or attend farmers markets?

Taking time to assess cover levels, and where needed, revaluate the level of cover required, provides you with the confidence that should the unforeseen and unfortunate happen the financial cost will be met.

To summarise

Business insurance is a service that you pay for and one that you hope you never have to call. It adds value by protecting not only yourself and your customers but also your business.

If you take reasonable precautions to prevent bad things happening, choosing the right cover for your independent butcher shop does not have to be complicated. Always make sure you read your policy documents carefully and that you understand any exclusions that may apply.

Look for butcher shop insurance that is easy to understand, offers the cover you require, is competitively priced and has a great claims service, after all that is what you are paying for.

If you want to find out more about how Expression supports independent butcher shop owners who love their business visit www.expressioninsurance.co.uk