How to start a food stall in the UK

Choose your menu

Write the menu down with portion sizes, ingredients and the equipment each dish needs. That list becomes the basis of your kit list, your allergen record and your costings, so a few minutes spent on it at the start saves time at every later step.

Pick a small range you can make well and serve fast. Our guide to food stall ideas groups options by type, and choosing what to sell at events explains how to test demand.

Register your food business

Register with HMRC as a sole trader or form a limited company, and set up your trading status at the same time. The guide on sole trader or limited company helps you choose. Once you are ready to trade, setting up a food stall goes through the layout.

A food business must register with its local council, and the Food Standards Agency advises doing this at least 28 days before you start trading. Our guide to food business registration for event traders covers what an inspection looks at, so this page does not repeat it.

Insurance

Keep a copy of your certificate on your phone and a printed one in your trader folder. Organisers often ask to see it on arrival, and some ask for it with the application. Tell your insurer about any cooking, gas or generator use so the policy matches what you do on the pitch.

Most organisers ask for public liability insurance, and food traders often need cover that includes product liability. Read public liability insurance for traders and ask your insurer whether your food activity is included.

Food safety and allergens

Learn the basics of food hygiene, write down how you keep food safe and prepare allergen information for every item. The allergen rules and the 14 allergens are in our guide to allergen information for food stalls. Hygiene ratings are covered in food hygiene rating for event traders.

Book test events

Ask organisers what they require from food traders, since pitch terms, deadlines and paperwork differ between events. A smaller local market with a modest pitch fee is a low-risk place for a first food day.

Start with two or three events and record sales, costs and queue times. Use what you learn to adjust prices and menu before you apply for larger events. For costs, see how much it costs to start trading.

Plan the money

Add up your start-up costs, such as kit, stock, packaging, insurance and pitch fees, then work out how many portions you must sell to cover a day. The guides on working out your break-even and hidden costs of event trading help you check the sums.

Prepare your first trading day

1. Confirm your pitch, set-up time and the organiser's rules for food stalls.
2. Print your menu, prices and allergen information.
3. Pack food safely, with temperature control for hot and cold items.
4. Bring your insurance certificate and food registration details to the event.
5. Take the first market day checklist and tick everything off.