Takeaway for sale in the UK: What to check before you pay

If you're looking at a takeaway for sale, the asking price only makes sense once you've proved three things: the takings are real, the kitchen will pass inspection, and the lease lets you trade the hours that bring in the money. Most bad takeaway purchases go wrong on one of those, not on the headline price. Here's what to request and check before money changes hands, whether you're browsing takeaways for sale across the country or one down the road.

How do you check a takeaway's real takings?

Ask for at least 12 months of till Z reports, and 24 if the seller has them. Alongside those, request business bank statements for the same period, VAT returns if the business is VAT-registered, and the last two sets of filed accounts.

Then reconcile them. Till sales plus delivery-platform payouts should roughly match what lands in the bank and what appears as turnover in the accounts. Look month by month rather than at the annual total, so you can see seasonal dips and spikes.

Be wary of "cash that isn't in the books". If income hasn't been declared to HMRC, you can't verify it, a lender won't count it, and you shouldn't pay for it. Supplier invoices are a useful cross-check: if claimed sales rise but meat, oil and packaging purchases don't, ask why.

Delivery platform statements: what to look for

Ask the seller to log into their Just Eat, Uber Eats or Deliveroo partner portals in front of you, rather than sending PDFs. Check gross order value against the net payout after commission, the level of refunds and complaints, the customer rating, and any promotions the business is funding itself.

Find out whether orders use the platform's riders or the shop's own drivers, as that changes staffing costs. Also ask each platform how a change of owner works. You'll usually need to set up or transfer the account in your name, and you should confirm whether ratings and reviews carry over.

Document	What it tells you
Till Z reports	Daily counter and phone sales
Platform statements	Gross orders, commission, refunds, ratings
Bank statements	Whether takings actually arrive
VAT returns and accounts	What has been declared to HMRC
Supplier invoices	Whether purchases match claimed sales

What food hygiene rating does the takeaway have?

Look up the business on the Food Standards Agency ratings site (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). Scotland runs a separate scheme with "Pass" or "Improvement Required" results. Then ask for the latest inspection report itself, because it lists the specific problems the officer found.

A low rating means repair costs and lost customers, since many people check ratings before ordering. Ask when the last inspection was and what has been fixed since. As the new operator you'll need to register the food business with the local council before you start trading, and you should expect an inspection under your ownership.

While you're there, ask to see pest control contracts and visit records, cleaning schedules and allergen procedures.

Is the kitchen equipment included in the takeaway for sale?

Get a written inventory attached to the sale agreement, listing the extraction canopy, fryers, cold room, fridges, freezers, ovens and till system. For each item, confirm it's owned outright. Equipment on lease or hire purchase may not be the seller's to sell, and outstanding finance can become your problem.

Ask for recent extraction ductwork cleaning certificates; grease build-up is a fire risk and insurers often ask for them. Request the Gas Safe certificate for commercial gas appliances. Run the cold room and fridges and check temperatures.

Paying a commercial catering engineer to inspect before exchange costs far less than replacing a canopy or compressor in your first month.

Lease, planning and late-night licence checks

Your solicitor should read the lease for the permitted use clause, opening-hours restrictions, years remaining, rent review dates, repair obligations, break clauses and whether the landlord must consent to assignment. Ask if a personal guarantee will be required.

Check planning too. In England, hot food takeaways sit outside the standard use classes, so confirm the premises has permission and look for conditions on hours or extraction. In England and Wales, selling hot food between 11pm and 5am needs a late-night refreshment licence; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules. Council policies differ, so a shop among the takeaways for sale in London may face different restrictions from one in Manchester.

Red flags before you pay a deposit

• The seller won't show bank statements or live platform portals
• Part of the price is based on undeclared cash
• A low hygiene rating with no record of improvements
• Equipment on finance that wasn't disclosed
• A short lease or a landlord who won't respond
• Planning conditions that cut off late-night trading
• Staff paid cash with no payroll or right-to-work records (employees usually transfer to you under TUPE)

Keep any deposit refundable and subject to due diligence. When you shortlist businesses on BizMarketplace, send this list to the seller or broker before your second viewing, and bring in a solicitor and an accountant for the legal and tax detail.