If you're simply selling cakes once in a blue moon at a car boot sale or market then you don't need to worry. However, if you are planning on doing this regularly, contact your local council and ask them what the rules are. If you do have to register your kitchen, it's totally free to do so.
Fire Arms, Knives, Tobacco, Alcohol and Controlled Substances, Unless fully licensed to do so, with permission from National Car Boot sale organisers, it is strictly forbidden to sell any of the above items and any items that may fall into the above categories.
You will need to do the following to be permitted to make money by selling your baked goods from home: Register your business with your Local Authority. Take the relevant training for food hygiene at home. Prepare your home kitchen for a visit from the Environmental Health Officer (EHO).
Bric-a-brac, clothes, books and toys are all car boot sale staples. However, it can be surprising what sells well, so even if you think an item is not worth anything, it may be worth bringing it along. You should avoid spending all of your profits on buying more items from other sellers.
You need to register as self-employed when starting a food business, even if you are part-time or have another job. You should register at GOV.UK to verify your account and confirm the specifics of your food business. Failure to register may result in a fine.
Unfortunately, it's not quite a piece of cake when it comes to flogging your sweet treats from home. There are food hygiene regulations to consider – and you'll likely need to take a Level 2 Food Safety Course before you can sell a single slice from your front door.
You will probably need a health and Hygiene certificate so contact your council and find out. Also contact who owns the car boot site, and see if they are allowing any more traders selling sweets. It is not just a case of buying, rebagging and selling on.
At the very least, you might be required to register as a business trader (free of charge). Registering your premises – You may be also required to register your premises (likely your home kitchen), assuming food is actually being prepared there, with the EHS at least 28 days before commencement of trading.
On the other hand, if somebody regularly attends car boot sales (for instance every month) with a view to making profits, HMRC will deem them to be trading and they would need to be registered as self-employed for tax and National Insurance purposes.
While a food hygiene certificate isn't compulsory it is strongly recommended by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and other official bodies. Under EU law, anyone working with food must have appropriate training for their role.
Even if you run your business from home, public liability insurance is still important. If a customer or delivery person visits your home to collect a cake and trips over a loose wire in your hallway, resulting in an injury, they could make a claim against you.
Do you need a food hygiene certificate to sell cake?
The Environmental Health Officer that visits will decides your food hygiene rating and whether you are ready to serve food to the public. Do I need a food hygiene certificate to sell cakes? If you are selling your cakes on an ad-hoc basis, then you do not need a food hygiene certificate.
It is not a good idea to sell items past their 'sell-by' date, even though this is not of itself an offence – food must be unfit for human consumption before environmental health officers will penalise you. Please act responsibly and exercise caution. Think twice before selling nightwear.
It is an offence to hold a temporary market, or permit your land to be used for a temporary market, without giving notice. If you do so, you can be fined up to £2,500.
When to arrive – Some car boot 'experts' suggest that you should visit a car boot sale both at opening time, to view the best items before they are snapped up, and then again at the end, to offer cash that sellers can't refuse if they want to avoid taking everything home.
Car boot sales usually count as 'occasional sales', which must be licensed. An occasional sale is a sale including five or more stalls, stands, vehicles or pitches. There are exceptions to the licensing of occasional sales.
To register your street food business (which is free), you'll need to download an application form from your local authority or via GOV.UK. Once completed and submitted, an environmental health officer will make an inspection and your business will be given a food-hygiene rating.
Getting there early means you can choose the best position for your stall where you will be able to get the most customers. It will take some time to set up your stall so get there with plenty of time to allow you to set up well.
If you're running a sweet shop then public liability insurance is essential. It can protect your business against claims for injuries sustained at your premises. Public liability insurance can cover accidental injury to third parties or accidental damage to property resulting from your business activities.
Do I need a food safety certificate to sell sweets?
Most people who sell sweets should obtain a food hygiene certificate. A level 1 food safety course should be appropriate for those that only handle sweets that are packaged or have been pre-prepared, while a level 2 food safety course should be completed by those that make sweets or regularly handle loose sweets.
Do I need a health and hygiene certificate to sell sweets?
It is not mandated by law to have a food hygiene certificate to prepare or sell sweets; however, having one will ensure you have up-to-date knowledge of all relevant legislation. Proper food hygiene is a must when it comes to selling food, especially from home.
You might wonder if it's even legal to sell food on Facebook. The answer is generally yes — you just need to be aware of any local regulations around selling homemade food online. We'll cover cottage food laws, pricing, creating the perfect Marketplace listing, and much more below.
Can you run a food business from home if you have pets?
You need to ensure that domestic use of the kitchen ie by children, pets, or other people, is separate from business use. Also, you will need to make sure other domestic activities (such as laundry) do not compromise food safety. Although this can be awkward, it is essential for good food hygiene.
Most home bakers sell their goods onsite at events like farmers markets and county fairs. Check your local and state regulations for where you can and can't sell home-based bakery goods. You may (depending on state regulations) also be able to sell your baked goods online or through social media.
