Run a small food business with fewer surprises
Licences, food safety, equipment and planning notes for food trucks, home bakers, pop-ups, market stalls and small cafés.
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Hiring Your First Employee
Taking on your first team member changes your legal duties overnight. Work through these steps so…
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Cottage Food Laws Explained
Home baking rules are written state by state. See how two large states handle approved foods,…
Latest articles
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Commissary Kitchens Explained
Food trucks rarely work alone. Here is how a commissary or servicing area supports a mobile unit, and what inspectors usually expect to see in your…
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Temporary Food Event Safety Checklist
Use this list the week before, the night before and the morning of any fair, festival or market where you serve open food, so inspection day…
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Catering for Gaming Events Explained
Tournaments and game days run long, keep hands busy and put food next to expensive kit. Here is how small caterers plan menus, timing and safety…
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Writing a Food Business Plan
A plan for a truck, stall or café does not need to be long. It needs honest costs, a clear customer and a break-even number you…
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Setting Up a Farmers Market Stall
A good market stall looks simple from the front. Behind it sit market rules, product permits, a checked scale and a packing list you trust every…
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Hospitality Burnout Explained
Burnout is a defined occupational problem, not a personal failing. Learn the three signs WHO describes and the work changes that ease the pressure behind them.
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Becoming a Festival Food Vendor
Festivals reward vendors who plan like a small restaurant and pack like campers. Here is how to choose events, get approved and run a booth that…
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Running a Pop-Up Restaurant: A Walkthrough
Say you want to cook a one-night dinner in a café that closes on Mondays. Here is the order of decisions, from host agreement to the…
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Food Handler Certification Explained
Food handler cards, manager certificates and hygiene courses are easy to mix up. Here is what each one is, who usually needs it and where to…
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Side Hustle Work-Life Balance: Myths and Facts
Weekend markets, late baking sessions and a day job can fit together, but only if you drop a few comfortable myths about time, sleep and saying…
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Café Equipment: A Buyer’s Guide
Before you compare espresso machines, check the criteria inspectors and your own utility bills care about: certification, cleaning, cold holding and sinks.
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Food Business Licences and Permits: A Checklist
Work through the registrations, permits and records a new food business usually needs in the US and the UK, and learn who to ask when the…
