Environmental health Running a food business from home

You're permitted to prepare some foods from your home domestic kitchen, depending on the risk and scale of production. The standards you'll have to meet in your home depend on a number of factors, such as the type and quantity of food you intend to prepare. Although we wouldn't expect to see the same things in a domestic kitchen as we would in a commercial one, we'd still expect the same high standards of food safety and hygiene.

As a general principle, if you prepare high risk foods the standards required of you will be much stricter than if you only prepare low risk foods.

If you're handling or preparing food at home as a commercial business it is your responsibility to ensure that the food is safe, and you must comply with current food safety legislation.

If you're setting up or operating a food business from home, we advise you read the following guides:

• Food Hygiene: A Guide for Businesses  
  
• Starting up: Your first steps to running a catering business
  
• Shropshire Council Guide

The Food Standards Agency website is a great resource for all food enquiries and offers in-depth information on most food-related topics.

The majority of food businesses will need to register with us 28 days before starting to operate. This process is simple and free.

We offer specific information on making cakes from home and making pickles from home.