Do I need to register to sell food from home in the UK?

Yes. If you sell food from home in the UK (regularly, or even occasionally for money) you must register as a food business with your local council at least 28 days before you start trading. Registration is free, done online in about ten minutes, and the council cannot refuse it. The only real exceptions are one-off events like a single charity bake sale.

Who has to register

UK food law applies to any "food business": an undertaking that handles food with "a certain continuity of activities and a certain degree of organisation". In practice councils treat anyone selling food more than once in a while as a food business, whether they make £50 or £5,000 a month, and whether they sell from a market stall, Instagram, a marketplace app or their front door. Baking for a one-off charity sale is the usual exception; a monthly stall is not.

How to register

Go to gov.uk/food-business-registration and enter your postcode, or search your council's website for "register a food business".
Fill in the online form: your details, the address (your home), what you make, and roughly how often. Ten minutes.
Submit at least 28 days before you start trading. There is no fee.

You register once per business. If you move house, or change what you do significantly, you tell the council.

What happens after you register

An environmental health officer will contact you or visit, usually within a few weeks of you starting to trade. The visit may be unannounced. They look at cleanliness, how you store and separate food, your temperature records, your allergen information and your training. You then get a Food Hygiene Rating from 0 to 5, published on the FSA website. A home kitchen can absolutely score a 5.

What they expect to see: evidence of food hygiene training (most councils recommend a Level 2 certificate), a Safer Food, Better Business diary, a fridge thermometer, separate boards and storage for raw and ready-to-eat food, and an answer to "what's in this?" for everything you sell.

What if I don't register?

Trading unregistered is a criminal offence under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 (and the equivalents in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). In practice councils usually start with a warning, but they can prosecute and fine. More practically: marketplaces, insurers and many customers will ask for your registration and rating, and you cannot get a hygiene rating without registering.

Registration on Cravers Eats

Food sellers on Cravers Eats are asked to register with their council when they set up a shop, and to give their food hygiene details, which we review before approving the shop. Florists and makers who do not sell food do not need to register.

Sell on Cravers Eats

A new local marketplace for anyone who makes and sells from home: bakers, cooks, florists, crafters and makers, opening across the UK in early 2027. Founding sellers join free now and set up before launch day. Customers order and pay by card, you keep 95%, and there are no monthly fees.

Join as a founding seller

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to register a food business in the UK?

Nothing. Registration with your local council is free and cannot be refused.

How long does food business registration take?

The form takes about ten minutes. You must submit it at least 28 days before you start trading, so plan for a month.

Do I need to register if I only sell cakes occasionally?

If you sell with any regularity (a few orders a month counts) yes. A genuine one-off, such as a single charity bake sale, generally does not.

Will the council inspect my home kitchen?

Yes, and the visit may be unannounced. You will receive a Food Hygiene Rating from 0 to 5 (Scotland uses Pass or Improvement Required).

Can my council refuse my food business registration?

No. Registration is a notification, not a licence, so it cannot be refused. The council can, however, take action later if your kitchen does not meet hygiene standards.

Sources: Food Standards Agency and local council guidance on registering a food business and allergen information (PPDS); HMRC trading allowance guidance; Cravers Eats seller terms. Last reviewed 2026-11-05.