Have You Sold Food from Your Home? or Have Experience in Food Service?

I know someone in AZ who bakes cakes out of her home. And the lady who did my wedding cake umpteen years ago worked out of her home. I'd look into it. That doesn't sound right. It might be that big companies can't do it out of their homes but you doing a little business might be perfect. That sounds like a great idea. Good luck to you!

You need to have a food preparation and health license for yourself. You may need to attend training. The County holds these classes. and covers the laws and regulations.

Your kitchen will need to meet the health code for the county. They will also be allowed to inspect your kitchen unannounced different times of the year at least once unannounced.

Your home needs to be in a business zone.. Make sure your home and neighborhood are zoned properly.

I have a friend that started a "Pie" baking business. She wanted to do it out of her home, but it called for a full renovation to her kitchen and it could only be used for the business.. So she decided to rent out a space in a restaurant. She would get there very early in the mornings and bake, clean up and then deliver her pies to her business (did not have a kitchen). Now after 5 years, she has an actual store front with the kitchen on the premises!

It haws been a lot of work and it has not stopped. I notice each time I drove by there, there were people in there baking and working at all hours right before Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I have a friend who owns/operates her own candy business. It started in her home, but now she rents commercial kitchen space in order to meet health codes in Illinois. According to the Health Department, you can't make food in your own kitchen -- at least in our county in Illinois. But she was able to find very cheap commercial kitchen space in an American Legion building not far from her home, and she cooks there a couple times a week. You need to speak to one of the actual inspectors (and not a receptionist) to find out what you need to do to meet their requirements.

My friend sold things under the table and by word of mouth for awhile, but it was kind of a dangerous thing to do... because what if someone claimed they got a food-borne illness from your cooking? You'd be in big trouble.

It's nearly impossible to become certified in a home. But I assume most do start at home. At least, you need to sell enough to find out if you really have a market. That should NOT take more than a week or two though. If people like what you are doing, then find a place that's closed fairly early and rent from them.

We have two local diners that are closed at 2pm. I bet you could make a good arrangement with someone. Maybe, you could even get the space in exchange for cleaning. Say you come in when they close and you do an hour or so worth of clean up and then while your items are baking, you continue to clean. If you leave the place spiffy clean at the end of the night, you could save some real money and get off the ground at the same time.

CA is highly particular about kitchens, and the people I know that advertise rent space out in certified kitchens to comply with the law.
Here's the codes for starting a home baking business in CA:
http://www.ehow.com/list_###-###-####_codes-home-baking-b...

Others I know who cook and bake in their home do it by word of mouth. The friend who made my wedding cake does this, and placed business cards on the cake table at the reception.

Best wishes on your endeavor!

Also in CA - Yuba County, and no, you can't run a food service business out of your home in the WHOLE state. It stinks, I know. You would need to find a certified kitchen in which to bake. Some towns have kitchen space you can rent out, that is the landlord's business, or talk to a local restaurant that may be closed certain hours of the day, and you could use their kitchen in their off hours. You will also need to get a federal food handler's certificate. My husband and I both have ours. Basically, you go to a one day class, take the test after, and within a month, you are certified.

Sometimes church kitchens are available, or maybe your child's school will work with you, although liability is an issue. You will also need a permit from your county's environmental services department - or whatever county you are going to sell in. You will need liability insurance - we carry a $1 million policy - it's about $1,000 a year, but without it, you cannot work farmers' markets or street fairs.

My husband and I have owned our own business for almost 8 years, and that is how we do it.

I know several ladies who do cakes and such out of their homes. They strictly go by word of mouth. Our wedding cake was done by the neighbor. You can also get to know other wedding professionals. You give people their name(DJ, photographer, florist) and they give yours.

In order to sell food from your home - you have a to have a business license as well as a health inspection - just as any business would.

http://www.ehow.com/how_###-###-####_california-business-...

Set up your business.
Get your license.
Get your kitchen inspected by the health inspector.

Know your audience/clientele - you will have more success if you know what people are looking for in cakes and bread. Most people think of wedding cakes and birthday cakes...live near a church? Offer to do their baptism cakes...

advertise in your local grocery store...put your information up on the board most grocery stores have.

word of mouth is wonderful!!!

I don't know if it is true in CA that you can't operate out of your kitchen, but I think at a bare minimum the county would require you to submit your kitchen to the same sanitary standards under which commercial and restaurant kitchens operate, meaning that you'd be subject to random inspections and would have to keep temperature logs of anything perishable. I'd start Googling "food sanitation" "Fresno county" or whatever your county is.

In PA, food that you sell has to be made in an approved, inspected kitchen. Most likely that means not the kitchen in your home....Can you get the aid of someone in your area with a successful business that sells food items and pick their brains?

I have a friend in the Bay Area who looked into this. She too was told she couldn't operate our of her home as she wanted to sell her item in specialty food stores and boutiques. She now rents a kitchen and shares it with other people so rent costs are lower. Good luck!

I started my gluten free baking business about 8 months ago, and you do need your health permit and business license like others have stated. I went down to my local coffee shop and brought in samples for about a month and when they got a good response I struck up an agreement with the owner. So now I bake from his kitchen which is permitted. I agree with others, try and find a business that would let you use theirs for some type of trade, the commissary kitchens and even church kitchens are expensive to rent hourly. Good luck, it's a challenge at first but I can give first hand testimony that it can be done.