Help for food businesses based at home

Published: 22 March 2023

Handy advice is available to people who make and supply food to the public from their home on a regular and organised basis.

Exeter City Council is reminding food businesses of the need to comply with food legislation, but also the wealth of help and information that is available to them.

Around a third of new food businesses registering with the City Council since the beginning of 2022 have done so from a private address.

The Council has now produced some handy online food safety guidance for food businesses based at home.

“Often what starts out as a hobby – making cakes at home for friends and family on an occasional basis – grows into a business,” said Cllr Amal Ghusain, Lead Councillor for City Management and Environmental Services.

“If you find yourself producing and selling food to others on a regular basis, let’s say more than once a month for instance, it’s likely that you’ll need to register your home as a food business.”

However, the occasional sale of cakes, jams, chutneys etc. at fetes or charity events is unlikely to be classed as a food business due to the infrequent nature of these activities.

“If people are in doubt, I would urge them to contact our environmental health and community safety team, who would be happy to help,” added Cllr Ghusain.

The online advice is for food businesses making low-risk items such as cakes, bread, confectionary, jams, chutneys etc. from home.

The advice takes producers through everything to consider before getting started and explains how to comply with food law, particularly if using the home kitchen to make food.

To download a copy, go to the City Council website at https://exeter.gov.uk/clean-safe-city/environmental-health/running-a-food-business-from-home/