Home Baking

tracyburt

I've just started doing a bit of baking for a Country Market (reformed Womens' Instisute) and have just done my first 2 markets. I had my food hygiene certificate already and you pay about 50p to become a member and then are covered by their insurance, then pay then a percentage of your takings (I think it's 10%). I've not had my kitchen checked but I had a new one recently and designed it largely to cover a lot of the reg's.

It's a bit hard to get established as people prefer to stick to their favourite bakers, and the markets are only once a fortnight but I'm going to stick with it for 6 months to see how it goes.

What I was wondering is does anybody on here do home baking as a business from home, and if so where do you sell and what things do you have to sort out (local authority inspections, insurance, etc)? I've sometimes sold at car boots (although I know I'm probably not supposed too) and it's amazing how many people say things like "Oooh, butterflies like my mum used to make, I wish I had time" or "Old fashioned chutneys just like we had as kids" so I'm sure there is a market somewhere for a bit of side-line genuine homebaking, I just don't know how to tap it!

If I knew I wasn't breaking any regs/laws I thought about advertising round school, aimed at mums who are too busy to bake at home but don't like feeding their kids the processed factory made stuff, and would then bake to order. Any ideas/experience?

mattogier

I live in a small village and do stuff by request (Break, Cakes, Patries etc) - advert in Parish News, stall at the local school fayres etc...

Once you get your name known the repeat business and referrals should help you to grow the business (if you are good which I am sure you are)

tracyburt

mattogier wrote: »

I live in a small village and do stuff by request (Break, Cakes, Patries etc) - advert in Parish News, stall at the local school fayres etc...

Once you get your name known the repeat business and referrals should help you to grow the business (if you are good which I am sure you are)

Thanks, do you have your own insurance or anything like that?

hopeless_case_2

We have a small post office /newsagents near us they sell home made cakes pies etc and they are delicious so you could try local shops obviously less profit but no time spent selling the product.

full-time-mum

tracyburt wrote: »

I've just started doing a bit of baking for a Country Market (reformed Womens' Instisute) and have just done my first 2 markets. I had my food hygiene certificate already and you pay about 50p to become a member and then are covered by their insurance, then pay then a percentage of your takings (I think it's 10%). I've not had my kitchen checked but I had a new one recently and designed it largely to cover a lot of the reg's.

It's a bit hard to get established as people prefer to stick to their favourite bakers, and the markets are only once a fortnight but I'm going to stick with it for 6 months to see how it goes.

What I was wondering is does anybody on here do home baking as a business from home, and if so where do you sell and what things do you have to sort out (local authority inspections, insurance, etc)? I've sometimes sold at car boots (although I know I'm probably not supposed too) and it's amazing how many people say things like "Oooh, butterflies like my mum used to make, I wish I had time" or "Old fashioned chutneys just like we had as kids" so I'm sure there is a market somewhere for a bit of side-line genuine homebaking, I just don't know how to tap it!

If I knew I wasn't breaking any regs/laws I thought about advertising round school, aimed at mums who are too busy to bake at home but don't like feeding their kids the processed factory made stuff, and would then bake to order. Any ideas/experience?

I'd be really interested in this kind of information.

Unfortunately, our WI market collapsed just about the time my youngest started pre-school :mad: so that option has closed for me. However, I do occaissionally bake for friends and have quite a reputation for my cakes. I don't have hygiene certificates and my kitchen isn't licensed so I've never taken it any further. Personally, I don't want to do buffets/parties as I want my evenings and weekends free but I do enjoy baking/cooking/preserves etc and it would be good to make a bit of pocket money.

I suspect that it would be very difficult to keep a family working kitchen up to appropriate standards but it would be really good if someone in the know could give an insight into what is required and how one goes about getting a certificate.

:username:

Hi,

I used to buy cakes etc. from a lady who baked from home and sold them in my Coffee Shop. It was great because she was local and people like that. Unfortunatly she had to stop selling to me because she had taken on to much business and couldn't keep up, shame really.

So anyway, try local Cafes, Coffee Shops (independant) and the local PO is a good suggestion.

Good luck with it all!

tracyburt

full-time-mum wrote: »

I'd be really interested in this kind of information.

Unfortunately, our WI market collapsed just about the time my youngest started pre-school :mad: so that option has closed for me. However, I do occaissionally bake for friends and have quite a reputation for my cakes. I don't have hygiene certificates and my kitchen isn't licensed so I've never taken it any further. Personally, I don't want to do buffets/parties as I want my evenings and weekends free but I do enjoy baking/cooking/preserves etc and it would be good to make a bit of pocket money.

I suspect that it would be very difficult to keep a family working kitchen up to appropriate standards but it would be really good if someone in the know could give an insight into what is required and how one goes about getting a certificate.

http://www.country-markets.co.uk/ has a search facility to locate your nearest market

as nobody has mentioned how they sort out insurance, inspections, etc do I assume nobody on here does it? makes me wonder if it is because it's not possible to officially do this sort of thing from home

joeblack066

It will be the food hygeine legislation that you have to watch. Stuff like all the work surfaces have to be stainless steel etc. Your local Environmental Health Officer will be able to point you in the right direction, but unfortunately in these days of red tape, you will come under a lot of scrutiny with a home based business if you advertise. I would stick to referrals if possible, until you are ready to take the plunge with the correct environment, insurance etc etc etc.

clairev

Why don't you ask someone from a WI - or even join your local one! I buy preserves from the WI tents at agricultural shows and I know they have to label everything with contents but looks fairly straight forward. I am sure that all these ladies baking for WI cake stands etc do not have stainless steel worktops etc but they are obviously keeping within the law.

johnny_c-l

What a coincidence this old thread came up today. I've just started to bake bread this morning for the first time in 8 years!

How have things turned out tracyburt?

dm1465

I used to bake for the Country Market in the village where I lived in somerset. I had to have a hygiene certificate, and the WI can issue you with a handbook which gives you all the information. Everything had to be labelled and there were certain things you couldn't do, like if you wanted to sell meat based products you needed to have separate sinks for meat and veg (I think). You also couldn't sell soups, salad dishes because of risk of food poisoning. You have to be very careful about labelling, and have to use new lids for jars, although you could re use the glass jars themselves. My best sellers were pasta sauces and breads because no one else was doing them, and in the market I was involved in most of the ladies were older and so their products were more traditional. I found the market to be very helpful and they also used to take stalls at the local fetes and country shows which you could partipate in. I would also add that I was never inspected at home, so can't help on that one. Hope this helps a bit. If there was a market close to where I was living now I would love to get involved again. Good luck. x