Takeaway SIC codes come down to 56103, take-away food shops and mobile food stands, which has 87,379 active companies. It is the largest code in Group 56. Today it mixes shops with food vans, but under SIC 2026 they separate, with take-out shops at 56.11/3 and mobile food services at 56.12.
Results Driven Marketing (RD Marketing) wrote this guide for suppliers who sell to takeaways. We sell B2B data, so we have an interest in the subject. To keep it useful, we link our sources and show where a SIC search falls short. For the basics, read what an SIC code is.
Written by Iain Irvin, Director of RD Marketing. Iain worked in telesales, business development and sales management before starting the business, and has more than 15 years of experience in B2B marketing data and lead generation. Codes, counts and sources checked on 7 November 2026.
Contents
- Takeaway SIC Codes Compared
- Takeaway SIC Codes Against Food Hygiene Data
- Takeaway SIC Codes Under SIC 2026
- Who Takeaway SIC Codes Leave Out
- Using Takeaway SIC Codes to Build a List
- RD Marketing Services That Can Help
- How We Checked This
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Talk to Us
Takeaway SIC Codes Compared
Do not add the counts together, because a company can list up to four codes.
| SIC code | Companies House description | Active companies | SIC 2026 code | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56103 | Take-away food shops and mobile food stands | 87,379 | 56.11/3, 56.12 | Takeaways and food vans |
| 56102 | Unlicenced restaurants and cafes | 50,704 | 56.11/2, 56.30/4, 56.30/9 | Some may use the cafe code |
| 56290 | Other food services | 33,312 | 56.22 | Dark kitchens may use this |
| 10850 | Manufacture of prepared meals and dishes | 1,341 | 10.85 | Prepared meal makers |
Takeaway SIC Codes Against Food Hygiene Data
The Food Standards Agency ratings data counts premises across the UK. We checked it on 7 November 2026.
| Business type | Premises listed |
|---|---|
| Takeaway or sandwich shop | 62,923 |
| Mobile caterer | 31,294 |
These count premises and traders, and not companies, so they do not line up neatly with 56103. Still, it is a better guide to how many outlets exist. It also shows why sandwich shops and food vans need thinking about separately.
Takeaway SIC Codes Under SIC 2026
The Office for National Statistics finalised UK SIC 2026 in April 2026. 56.10/3 can map to 56.11/3 for take-out food shops or 56.12 for mobile food services. Delivery platforms are separate too, as 56.40 covers intermediation for food and beverage services. You can read more in our UK SIC 2026 research.
Who Takeaway SIC Codes Leave Out
- Sole traders. Sole traders are not on the Companies House register, so a company search cannot find them. Many takeaways may be run this way.
- Franchisees. Each may be a separate company, or a person, trading under a shared brand.
- Trading names. The name above the shop often differs from the company name.
Using Takeaway SIC Codes to Build a List
- Choose shops, vans or both. Use the premises data to size each.
- Think about channel. Check legal form before email, and consider phone or post.
- Add region. It matters for deliveries and reps.
- Test a sample. Check it against outlets you know.
Our fish and chip shops data includes 6,974 phone numbers and postal addresses, plus 1,265 email addresses. See our restaurants data too.
RD Marketing Services That Can Help
Once you know which codes and audiences you need, these pages explain how we can help you reach them.
- Data lists for marketing: who we are and what we supply.
- Purchase database UK: our main page for buying UK business data.
- Telemarketing data lists: phone data for outbound sales teams.
- Email marketing database: business email data for your campaigns.
- Buy direct mail data: postal data for letters and mailshots.
- LinkedIn lead generation: managed outreach to decision-makers on LinkedIn.
- Email marketing automation: email campaigns run and followed up for you.
How We Checked This
Company counts come from Companies House advanced search, using the active status filter and one code at a time, on 7 November 2026. Descriptions come from the Companies House SIC code list. SIC 2026 codes come from the ONS correspondence table, dated 3 August 2026. A correspondence shows where a code could go. It does not tell you how any one company will be recoded. Food Standards Agency counts come from its ratings API on 7 November 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SIC code for a takeaway?
The code is 56103, take-away food shops and mobile food stands.
What is the SIC code for a food truck?
It is 56103 today. Under SIC 2026, mobile food services get their own code, 56.12.
What is the SIC code for a chip shop?
It is also 56103. Under SIC 2026, take-out shops move to 56.11/3.
What is the SIC code for a dark kitchen?
There is no specific code. Many would use 56103 or 56290, depending on the business.
Talk to Us
Need to reach takeaways? Tell us who you want to reach, and we will send you a free audience count and quote within 24 hours, along with a sample.
Contact RD Marketing today to discuss your target market.