Selling Stuff

[bananagirl]

Does anyone out there sell the stuff they make (or grow)?? Jam, chutney, cakes etc?? I'm contemplating trying to, but I have no idea how to go about it. Maybe a farmers market or something? I know all you lovely people will have tons of ideas... :)

[bananagirl]

[wardy]

We sell lotty stuff on the lotty on open day and the money goes to the society.  Any money we make on shrubs though our group keeps for buying plants etc for our group (in bloom).  We have some huge cabbages and were thinking of renting a market stall to sell them.  We grow wallflowers from seed on our communal plot and will be selling those, plus shrubs and herbs we've grown (on a market stall again).  So the answer is yes!  Also our local restaurant is insterested especially in asparagus next year.  I think the restaurants and pubs is a good angle.  We have a deli too who will sell asparagus and physalis etc

Go for it!  My niece said last week that she'd buy a box of veggies from me on a proper footing as she likes good organic veg for her children  :)

[Doris_Pinks]

It is in our tenanacy agreement that we are not allowed to sell anything off our plots, for own consumption only!
If you are selling cooked food to the public I would think you would have to get your kitchen certified (!!) by the health peeps.   DP

[Anne Robertson]

I take a selection of my home made jams, chutneys etc. to work and put a notice saying donations welcome people seem very generous and I end up with enough money to fund the seeds etc.

[wardy]

We're all entrepeneurs on here as well  :)   I've got a barter system going with my guests.  They give me something and I give them courgettes  ;D   I got plums to make a crumble last week so I think I'm up on the deal  ;D

[Tulipa]

Do you have a WI market in your area too as they are a useful outlet when you first start I believe and would have lots of information too.

[bananagirl]

WOW! You all are brilliant. I am going to look up everything. Hopefully I'll be able to get something going. I have tons of jam and I'm busy churning out new cakes. Sad thing is I don't have any test subjects for the cake. My friends look at me funny when I don't use recipes... ;D

[wardy]

If you sell them you might have to know what's in em as you might have to list the ingredients on the label.  Things take on a whole new light when you get into the commercial sector sadly

Food hygiene certificate is no problem though so don't worry about it.  Free courses usually too. 

Make sure it's what you want to do before involving Env Health as once they get involved it's all red tape and regulations  ;D

[bananagirl]

If I can figure out how to package it up so it'd make it in one piece, I'll take you up on that.  :D

[Doris_Pinks]

Wardy when Enviromental Health came to look at my kitchen I was scared stiff!! But they were actually really good and she said that home kitchens were actually a lot cleaner than the commercial ones cos we are living in them!  (the fact I had been cleaning solid for 3 days had nothing to do with it! ;D )

[Tulipa]

I just found this link, don't know if it is any use:

http://www.country-markets.co.uk

Sadly our local one has closed down but I found out about a couple that are not too far away.

[Yorkshire Lass]

Country Markets used to be the old W.I. markets.
We have one where I live and you can join by paying a small fee and then sell virtually what you make or grow. If you're making savoury dishes I believe the local Environmental Health Officer will need to inspect your kitchen

[moonbells]

Wardy when Enviromental Health came to look at my kitchen I was scared stiff!! But they were actually really good and she said that home kitchens were actually a lot cleaner than the commercial ones cos we are living in them!  (the fact I had been cleaning solid for 3 days had nothing to do with it! ;D )

I was on a course when they said that if you want to sell anything you've cooked or baked, you have to have this certificate or you get slapped with a £2k fine. And that if your kitchen is where you keep pet food, you won't get it... if you could see my kitchen (7'x9') and the rest of the house, I don't have anywhere else to put Madam's food so I can't be tempted to start making formal cakes for pocket money :( 

However they did say that if you are baking a cake for _cost_ for friends, that's ok.  It's just when profits come into it that you can have trouble. Course can I find all this in official web pages? Nope...

moonbells

[wardy]

Health inspector didn't say owt about my kitchen being cleaner than any commercial one  ;D  She wants me to have another sink though but have resisted as will cost too much dosh which I don't have.  I hope she don't come back too soon.  Moonbells, I keep my dog food in the pantry (in tins) with his biccies, etc and I have boxed bird food but she wasn't concerned about that and only picked up on that I had a box of dishwasher tabs (unopened) and washpowder in the pantry too.  She says I should have them locked up.  I pointed to the key in the door but she wasn't impressed.  I put them in the safe  ;D  The certificate is a cinch to get so I wouldn't worry about that and you may as well get it as pay any fines, cos it really is quite simple and you only need a day and you take the test at the end  :)

[bananagirl]

You all seem very organised. I am definitely going to look into the country market and WI thing, if I can find one I can get to. Then, I guess, I need to clean my kitchen :o (With 4 people all cooking independently of each other, it's going to be a work in progress!)

[wardy]

You have to keep it clean too in case the inspector calls  :o

[bananagirl]

And that will be where it all falls apart... :(

[Doris_Pinks]

Wardy with a "home" kitchen they have to give you warning (so me health inspector said!)....thank goodness!!  Mind you I always give mine a huge blitz before I do any "for sale" food, would be mortified to make anyone ill! ;D
Oh and thats the other thing I have done, taken out insurance in case anyone tries to sue! :-\

[wardy]

Doris   Don't talk to me about insurance!  My Building Society has called in my mortgage and ruled my insurances invalid as my OH let them know I was running a business from home.   The Building society's catch phrase is "Is That Fair?" Hmmmm  >:( 

So now I have to find another mortgage etc.  Tt

[Doris_Pinks]

OH NO!!  Erm, I hadn't even thought about that! :o  :o
Short sighted the lot of them, cos surely  the business helps to pay them your Mortgage!