cake making business

[Ratty2E]

My SIL want to start a cake making business from her home. Does anyone know the law regarding selling foodstuffs made in a domestic kitchen. Do you need any special certificates or enviromental health inspections etc.

[boxtops]

Ah - yes, I think she might. Do you remember a while back, the WI had to stop selling jams made in members' own kitchens, because they didn't comply with commercial food safety standards?

[scotman]

I think there will be problems. Someone I know had to give up catering because she was required to upgrade her kitchen to commercial standards. This in Scotland.

[Ratty2E]

Thanks Boxtops, I would have thought so myself but I have heard of people starting up food businesses from a small concern in their own homes so it made me wonder.

[welshlibranr]

yes, think you need a food hygiene certificate, and your kitchen has to be inspected, not sure of the standard needed, but sure you need to have a double sink!.....My friend was thinking of doing this, but didn't in the end, she felt that there were too many hoops to jump through really!.........

[scotman]

I think it depends how big you get. If you can stay 'under the radar' you might get away with it for some time but eventually someone is likely to notice.

[Ratty2E]

I think it would probably be better to do it properly from the start. It's not going to look good if you get shut down by enviromental health. I suppose if you got that big you'd need to get proper premises, but everyone has to start somewhere.

[scotman]

The requirements my friend had to deal with were something like - floor coverings, tiled walls, cookers on legs etc. Also if there are pets in house forget it.

[welshlibranr]

I have done the same in the past EDDIE, but I don't anymore!.....always felt that I had to give a good deal to folk just because they were friends or friends of friends!.....found that I worked very hard to make sure that they were delighted with the cakes, which they always were, but found I made little profit!...........I think that if you're going for it, then you need to get it all sorted first!.......

[Ratty2E]

Well this is going to be celebration type cakes, weddings, birthdays etc.

[welshlibranr]

Hope it goes well for you rattyratgirl, but remember that there's a lot of competition out there!...........

[welshlibranr]

No harm in giving it a try!............see how it goes, but don't sell yourself short, otherwis you'll end up getting lots of orders, and making very little profit, if any!..........

[Ratty2E]

thanks everyone for help

[hammerman]

Sorry to hijack the thread a bit but a friend of mine makes loads of cakes at home for her 21 year old daughter who then sells them at a cafe in a local park which she runs. They are advertised as locly made cakes.

Would the same hygine certificate be needed ?

[boxtops]

hammerman, I would have thought so, yes - this is the same sort of scenario which applied to the WI members. They were making jam and cake at home then taking it to local events to sell to fund-raise.