Registering a domestic (home) kitchen

If you plan to operate a commercial food business out of your home, here are your legal responsibilities under the Food Act 2014.

All new food businesses should speak to the following people at Council for advice:

Resource Consents Planner about compatibility with Council’s District Plan
Building Consent for Building Act requirements and structural changes
Trade Waste about requirements for grease traps
Environmental Health Officer for legal requirements around buildings and food

Depending on what food you make, you'll need to either operate under a template Food Control Plan or National Programme. Use the Ministry of Primary Industries tool, Where Do I Fit?, to work out where your food activity or business fits within the new Food Act rules. For more information about the template Food Control Plans or National Programmes you can either go to our Food Act 2014 page or visit the Ministry of Primary Industries website.

Check if your premises is consented

Contact our Resource Consents team to ensure the business you're proposing is permitted in the location. There may be District Plan requirements such as set operating hours or car parking provisions.

Check if your planned structural or plumbing changes require consent

If you're planning to operate a commercial food business from your home there may be building requirements you need to meet, depending on the type of food you're preparing. Also if you make any structural or plumbing changes to your domestic kitchen you might need a building consent. Contact our Building team for advice.

Does your business require a grease trap

Premises have varying and specific trade waste requirements. Contact our Trade Waste team to find out more about trade waste requirements.

Food Act requirements

The operator must ensure that the design, construction and location of the place of the food business keeps food safe and suitable, including by:

identifying and managing any risks posed to the safety or suitability of food
providing adequate space for producing, handling and processing of food as well as for fixtures, fittings and equipment
ensuring that the design of the place enables the movement of staff, visitors and food to flow in a way that prevents and manages risk
providing easy access for cleaning and maintenance
ensuring the place is designed, constructed and located to exclude dirt, dust, fumes, smoke and other contaminates and stop pests entering and remaining
making sure materials used in the construction of the premises aren't capable of contaminating food

You'll also need to ensure your facilities, equipment and essential services are designed, constructed, and located in a way that enables food to be safe and suitable. This includes:

ensuring facilities, equipment, and essential services are not operated beyond their capacity or capability
water used for producing, processing, handling of food and for personal hygiene and cleaning is suitable for purpose and doesn't adversely affect the safety and suitability of food
there's an adequate water supply for your food business

Training requirements

It's good operating practice for at least one person, preferably the manager, to have completed a basic food safety course.

If operating under a template Food Control Plan, the day-to-day operator/manager of the food business would need to understand and implement all FCP procedures that relate to the food business and complete a staff training record for themselves as well as any staff members.

Home kitchen requirements

Every home kitchen is unique and so is the food, the type of household and the understanding and experience of the operator. It's important that you give us as much information as possible about what you propose to do, so that we can give you the best and most appropriate advice.

We recommend that you refer to the following guidance document, Home kitchen requirements - guidance and checklist.

Once you've made contact with all the right Council teams, and before you make an application to register a food business from home, you must provide the following to Council:

a site plan detailing the physical boundaries of the shared commercial place and any other areas that will be used for “food for sale” – an example plan is included in Appendix A and a blank page for your plan can be found in Appendix B
a written proposal covering the following topics:

reason for the business
the types of food to be produced
how much food is to be produced weekly/monthly
whether any food will be transported or labelled
where will food be sold
who you will employ and the training/qualifications/experience of your staff
how goods will be separated between domestic and commercial use, including during preparation and storage
your businesses work patterns and how you keep them separate from household activities
how the business will operate when there are sick family members at home
how you'll control access to the kitchen by children, pets or visitors
completed Home Kitchen - Commercial Food checklist
a photo of your kitchen - either attached with the above information or sent electronically

All these requirements are detailed in our guidance document.

Once we receive your site plan, proposal, completed checklist and photo of your kitchen, an Environmental Health Officer will get in touch to meet you at your home to approve your home kitchen.