All new food businesses should speak to the following people at Council for advice:
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.
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.
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.
Premises have varying and specific trade waste requirements. Contact our Trade Waste team to find out more about trade waste 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:
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:
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.
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:
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.