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Have you ever thought of setting up your own catering business? Would you love to start a food business in the wedding industry?
Do you have a passion for cooking?
Or do you have a great food business idea that you think would go down a storm at weddings or events such as markets, fairs and festivals?
Let’s feast!
Weddings and events provide a fantastic opportunity to pursue a passion, put your own spin on a food classic or create a lucrative side hustle that you can work around another job.
Let’s face it – if you’re like most people, one of the best parts of a wedding is the chance to eat, drink and be merry!
The variety of food and drink offerings at a wedding is as vast and varied as you can imagine, depending on the culture, preferences of the couple and time of day.
These range from traditional three course wedding breakfasts to Asian feasts.
Gourmet high end cooking to canapés, fun foods such as ice cream, popcorn and candy floss. Or street food including pizzas, burgers, hog roasts and tacos.
The only limit is your imagination.
Rest assured – people will never get tired of eating delicious, mouth watering food!
Weddings and events offer a great opportunity for food businesses to fill gaps in the market, satisfy a need or bring something new, different or entertaining.
If you are experienced or have a passion for baking, catering or delivering great food, becoming a wedding supplier or vendor can be a great business to start. Whether as a full time profession, part time role or side hustle to make extra money.
Even if you don’t have any professional training or qualifications – there are still plenty of opportunities to provide eye catching fun food or treats as couples look for something new and unique to have at their big day.
Whether it’s a Pimms stand, doughnut wall, candy floss stall, sweet cart, ice cream rolls or a crisp stand.
Alternatively you may be a full scale professional caterer, or be aiming to provide food options from a converted horse box, renovated vehicle or gazebo.
Casual dining options such as gourmet burgers, artisan pizzas, hog roasts, burritos and tacos always go down a storm for relaxed informal evening food or as an alternative main course for festival style or relaxed wedding themed days.
If you’re thinking of starting a food business in the wedding or events industry, here are the steps you need to take to get started and stay compliant in the UK.
(Steps are likely to be similar in other countries – check local guidance to stay compliant):
- Research the local market – Consider local opportunities, competitors pricing, venues and gaps in the market. Identify skill requirements and necessary training.
- Identify and list equipment and resource requirements (I.e transport or storage.) Purchase equipment. Consider using second hand equipment if on a tight budget from EBay, Gumtree or Facebook marketplace or new from companies such as Nisbets.
- Get registered – Register your business with HMRC (for tax purposes) and with your local council as a food business, at least 28 days before you start trading.
- Obtain any licenses or certification. Depending on your setup, you may need food premises approval, a street trading license (if operating from a van or horse box on public highways for example), or an alcohol license if serving alcoholic drinks. If using gas for cooking, you’ll need a gas safety certificate. Any electrical equipment over a year old will also need to be PAT tested annually (get a certificate from the tester that you can forward to venues as required.)
- Research and identify food safety requirements – Follow the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidelines, including food handling, storage, and preparation standards. Any staff members producing food should have the minimum of a Food Hygiene Certificate – Level 2. Do a risk assessment for your business – see a simple example I use for my business here (INSEarT)
- Get a food hygiene rating – Depending on the scope of your business, your local authority may arrange for an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) inspection to receive a hygiene rating under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS). For lower risk businesses (serving fun food such as sweets, popcorn or candy floss for example) you may just be required to complete a questionnaire detailing your processes. Checkout ‘Safer Food, Better Business’ for helpful details and food management processes to implement in your business.
- Comply with health & safety regulations – Implement a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan to identify and manage food safety risks. See also Safer Food, Better Business above.
- Arrange business insurance – Get public liability, product liability, and employer’s liability insurance if hiring staff.
- Food storage and transportation – Ensure all food is stored and transported safely, maintaining temperature control where necessary. Maintain records using an infra red thermometer. When cooking, you should also use a probe thermometer to ensure cooked food has reached and is served at the correct temperature.
- Follow allergen and labelling laws – Comply with Natasha’s Law, ensuring clear allergen information for customers. Check out the FSA site for details: Allergen guidance for food businesses. You can also undertake free allergen training on the FSA website here if you wish.
- Register for VAT (if applicable) – When your business turnover exceeds the VAT threshold (£90,000 in 2024 in the UK) you will need to register for VAT. When starting out though this is unlikely to be required in the short term.
- Market your business and get out there – Build a website, use social media, attend wedding fairs, and network with venues and event planners.
Good luck in getting your new food business started.
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