At Norris & Fisher Insurance Brokers, we specialise in insurance for community buildings. During the summer months, we are often asked about insurance for hog roasts and barbecues. We shall try to deal with some of the issues surrounding these events in the course of this article.

If the event is being held at the Hall itself, then the first thing you should do is obtain fire safety guidelines from your local Fire Authority. They will give advice as to the maximum number of guests, siting of the barbecue, fire safety and so on.

For further details on fire safety, please refer to the Fire & Rescue Service guidelines which you can find at https://www.fireservice.co.uk/safety/barbecue

If the event is being provided by a third party company, then you must check that they hold Public Liability insurance and their indemnity limit should be at least equal to that which your own policy provides. This is often £5,000,000, although higher or lower limits may sometimes apply. It is best that you obtain a copy of their policy schedule to evidence the cover and the limit.

You must also carry out a risk assessment and evidence this in writing. Guidance can be found on the Health & Safety Executive website – https://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/

Your policy will normally automatically extend to provide cover for the event but you should notify your insurers if you are in any doubt.

If you are holding the barbecue or hog roast away from the Hall, then you should ensure that the landowner has informed his insurers that the event is taking place. It is also important that you notify your own insurers so that your liability cover can be extended, if necessary.