for sellersWhere to sell homemade food online in the UK: every option compared (2026)
UK home food sellers have six routes: Instagram or Facebook with DMs and a bank transfer or payment link; your own website (Square Online, Shopify); a local marketplace for home sellers such as Cravers Eats (5% per sale); the delivery apps Deliveroo and Uber Eats (13–35% plus VAT, built for restaurants); posted-goods marketplaces such as Etsy and Folksy; and markets and fairs. Whichever you pick, you must register with your council at least 28 days before you start.
The options side by side
Costs are what a seller who isn't VAT-registered pays on one £30 order that the customer collects, using each company's published UK rates in October 2026. Work out your own numbers with our selling fees calculator.
| Route | Cost on a £30 order | Who finds the customers | Best for | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMs + bank transfer | £0 | You | Your first few orders from friends and followers | Every order is a conversation; you chase payments; no card protection for the buyer |
| DMs + card payment link (Stripe, SumUp, PayPal) | 65p–£1.17 | You | Taking card payments without a shop | Still one conversation per order; no menu, allergen display or order list |
| Your own website (Square Online free plan, Shopify Basic) | 67p–85p, plus £25 a month for Shopify (£19 billed yearly) | You | Sellers with a following who want their own brand | Nobody finds it unless you send them there |
| Cravers Eats | £1.50 (5%); no monthly or listing fees. The customer pays a 99p service fee | Local customers browsing the app, plus your followers | Made-to-order and pre-order food, flowers and gifts sold locally | New and launching across the UK; customers collect or you deliver (no couriers yet) |
| Uber Eats | £4.68 for pickup or own delivery (13% + VAT); £10.80 when its couriers deliver (30% + VAT); plus a £650 + VAT activation fee | The app | Restaurants and takeaways doing hot food on demand | Built for restaurants; high commission on courier delivery |
| Deliveroo | Rates mostly unpublished; its partner terms set 35% + VAT (£12.60) for some orders delivered by its riders; one-off joining fee | The app | Restaurants and takeaways | Needs a food hygiene rating of at least 2 (or proof you've applied to register); tablet and joining fee |
| Etsy | About £4.37 (listing, 6.5% transaction, 4% + 20p processing, 0.48% regulatory fee, plus VAT); more if the sale came from Etsy's Offsite Ads | Shoppers across the UK and abroad | Small handmade items that post well | You post everything; check Etsy's current rules before listing food, and whether your bakes survive the post |
| Folksy | About £2.99 with Stripe (15p listing and 6% commission, both plus VAT, plus card fees) | UK craft shoppers | UK handmade goods sent by post | Smaller audience; you post everything |
| Markets and fairs | A pitch fee, whether or not you sell | Passers-by | Meeting customers, seasonal peaks | A street trading licence may be needed; organisers often ask for insurance and hygiene paperwork |
On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Just Eat and Not On The High Street don't publish their seller rates on their public pages, so they aren't priced here.
Which to choose
- Starting out, a handful of orders a month: DMs with a card payment link are cheapest. Move on once the messages take over your evenings.
- Cakes, meals, treat boxes and bouquets sold near you: a local marketplace (Cravers Eats) or your own website. Cravers costs more per order than a payment link but brings a menu, card checkout, allergen information on every item and local customers who don't follow you yet.
- A takeaway with premises and hot food on demand: the delivery apps bring huge demand, at a price.
- Things that post well (biscuits in tins, fudge, candles, crafts): Etsy or Folksy reach the whole country.
You can combine them: Instagram to be discovered, a shop link in the bio to take the order.
Rules that apply whichever you choose
- Register with your local council as a food business at least 28 days before trading. It's free, and it covers home, online-only and stall businesses (GOV.UK: register a food business).
- Allergen information for every food item, before the customer orders and again when they receive it. See our allergen guide.
- Online platforms report sellers' income to HMRC, unless you make fewer than 30 sales and €2,000 (about £1,700) or less in a year. Being reported doesn't by itself mean you owe tax. See our guide to tax on selling from home.
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 sellerQuestions people ask
What is the best app to sell homemade food in the UK?
It depends on what you make. For made-to-order cakes, meals and treat boxes sold locally, a marketplace built for home kitchens such as Cravers Eats (free to join, 5% per sale) suits best. Deliveroo and Uber Eats are built for restaurants and charge 13–35% plus VAT. For food that posts well, Etsy or Folksy reach the whole country.
Can I sell homemade food on Deliveroo or Uber Eats?
Both are built for restaurants and takeaways. Deliveroo asks for a food hygiene rating of at least 2, or proof you have applied to register, plus a tablet and a joining fee. Uber Eats charges 13% plus VAT for pickup or own delivery and 30% plus VAT when its couriers deliver, plus a £650 + VAT activation fee.
Can I sell cakes on Etsy UK?
Etsy is built for items you post. Check Etsy's current rules on food before you list, and whether your bakes survive a few days in the post. Fresh cream cakes and celebration cakes suit collection or local delivery better.
Do I need to register before selling food online?
Yes. Every food business, including home-based and online-only ones, must register with its local council at least 28 days before trading. Registration is free.
Will a selling platform tell HMRC about my sales?
Usually, yes. UK digital platforms must report sellers' income to HMRC each year unless the seller made fewer than 30 sales and €2,000 (about £1,700) or less. Being reported doesn't by itself mean you owe tax.
Sources (checked October 2026): GOV.UK: register a food business; GOV.UK: selling goods or services on a digital platform; GOV.UK: reporting rules for digital platforms; Etsy fees and payments policy; Etsy UK: sell on Etsy; Folksy: selling fees; Uber Eats UK merchant pricing; Deliveroo UK partner terms; Deliveroo: become a partner; Stripe UK pricing; SumUp UK pricing; PayPal UK merchant fees; Square Online plans (UK); Shopify UK pricing; GOV.UK: street trading licence. Last reviewed 2026-11-05.