Dark Kitchens and Virtual Brands in the UK: Restaurant Guide

Short answer: A dark kitchen (also called a ghost kitchen) is a commercial kitchen that cooks mainly for delivery orders, with no customers on site. A virtual brand is a delivery-only restaurant that exists only on the apps, usually cooked in an existing kitchen. Uber Eats says it supports restaurants running more than one brand from one kitchen, each with its own menu. The rules are the same as any takeaway: register with your council, show allergen information before ordering and at delivery, and remember the hygiene rating belongs to the kitchen. A new dark kitchen site may need planning permission.

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Dark kitchen, ghost kitchen, virtual brand: what's the difference?

Term	What it means
Dark kitchen (or ghost kitchen)	A kitchen that cooks mainly for delivery orders, with no dining room or counter for walk-in customers
Virtual brand (or virtual restaurant)	A delivery-only restaurant name and menu that exists only on the apps, often cooked in a kitchen that already runs another restaurant
Deliveroo Editions	Deliveroo's own delivery-only kitchen sites, which restaurant brands rent to reach new areas

In January 2026, researchers from five UK universities published the first agreed UK definition of a dark kitchen: a technology-enabled commercial kitchen operating mainly for delivery, cooking remote online orders for immediate eating. Uber Eats separates the two ideas the same way: a virtual restaurant is a second, delivery-only concept launched from an existing restaurant, while a ghost kitchen is a delivery-only concept run from a commercial kitchen facility.

How common are they?

A 2025 study in the journal Health & Place looked at 113,370 online food outlets on Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo in England, and found that about 14% (roughly one in seven) were "dark", most of them virtual brands. Customers mostly don't know: a 2026 University of Sheffield survey found 24.7% of people had heard of dark kitchens, and only 9.1% knew they had ordered from one.

Can I run a virtual brand from my takeaway?

Usually, yes, and it is the cheapest way in, because you use the kitchen, staff and equipment you already have.

Uber Eats says it supports restaurants that run more than one brand from one kitchen, with a separate menu for each brand.
Deliveroo has described a virtual brand as appearing as a separate restaurant on Deliveroo, with a new identity and a new cuisine or menu.
Just Eat doesn't publish its rules on extra brands. Ask your account manager before you set one up.

Whatever the app, expect the second brand to need a genuinely different menu. In 2023 Uber Eats began removing virtual brands in the US that copied their parent restaurant's menu or had poor ratings, so a copy of your existing menu with a new name is unlikely to last.

The rules: registration, hygiene ratings, allergens and planning

Registration: every food business must register with the local council at least 28 days before trading, even if it only sells online. Your virtual brand is cooked in your registered kitchen, so make sure the council knows about the names you trade under.
Hygiene rating: the rating belongs to the kitchen, linked to your business's unique code with the FSA, so every brand cooked there has the same rating. FSA guidance says ratings should appear before the customer orders. If an app shows the wrong rating for one of your brands, contact the app to correct it.
Allergens: the same distance-selling rules as any takeaway. Allergen information must be available before the customer orders and when the food is delivered, for every brand. See our opening a takeaway checklist.
Planning: if you're setting up a new delivery-only site, check planning first. In England, a change of use to a hot food takeaway ("sui generis") needs planning permission, and councils treat dark kitchens differently: some as takeaways, some as light industrial. Deliveroo's own Editions sites have faced council enforcement notices, in Brighton & Hove in 2018 and in Camden, so ask your council's planning team before you sign a lease.

Be open with customers

A 2026 Sheffield Hallam study found customers want app listings to show where the food is made, its hygiene rating and allergen information. Some customers feel tricked when they find several "restaurants" are the same kitchen. Being open costs little: use your real photos, keep the kitchen's hygiene rating visible, and answer reviews under each brand.

Is a virtual brand worth it? Our advice

Get your main listing right first. If your main restaurant has a weak rating or few orders, a second brand usually has the same problems. Start with getting more orders.
Fill a gap, don't copy yourself. Look at what customers in your area search for and can't find, using the dishes and ingredients you already stock.
Keep the menu short. A small menu cooked well beats a long one that slows your kitchen at busy times. Slow orders and missing items hurt both brands.
Give it real photos and a clear name, so customers know what the food is from the name alone. See food photos for delivery apps.
Watch the numbers for 8 weeks: orders, rating, refunds and how busy the kitchen gets. If the second brand drags down the first, stop it.

Questions

What is a dark kitchen?

A kitchen that cooks mainly for delivery orders from apps like Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats, with no dining room or counter for walk-in customers. It is also called a ghost kitchen or delivery-only kitchen.

What is a virtual brand?

A delivery-only restaurant name and menu that exists only on the apps. It is usually cooked in a kitchen that already runs another restaurant or takeaway.

Are dark kitchens legal in the UK?

Yes. They follow the same food rules as any takeaway: registration with the council, food safety, allergen information and hygiene inspections. A new site may also need planning permission.

Does a virtual brand have its own hygiene rating?

No. The rating belongs to the kitchen, so every brand cooked there shares it. If an app shows the wrong rating for a brand, ask the app to correct it.

What is Deliveroo Editions?

Deliveroo's own delivery-only kitchen sites, which restaurant brands can use to reach customers in new areas without opening a full restaurant.

Thinking about a virtual brand?

Get your main listing working first. Send us your link and we'll tell you what's holding it back, and whether a second brand makes sense. Free, within 24 to 48 hours. Get your free diagnostic →

Sources

Platforms change their rules and fees. Figures were checked on the date above. Restaurant Hero is independent. We're not part of, or endorsed by, Just Eat, Deliveroo or Uber Eats.

Dark kitchens and virtual brands in the UK: how they work on Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats