4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[pbfhpunk]

Hi

 

I wondered if anyone had any tips for how to get your homemade produce into local shops?

 

We have a really nice farm shop near us and I would love to sell my scotch eggs there. They already sell scotch eggs from the handmade SE Co, but I do the ones I got from here where they're oven cooked rather than fried, so I feel healthier! I'm also a lot more local to them and use locally produced sausages for the meat and my homemade bread for the breadcrumbs.

 

My husband often takes them to work and they go mad for them!!

 

I didn't know how to approach them in the first instance, I've drafted an email to them but not sure if it's ok. does anyone have experience of this?

 

Thanks

 

Helen

[Guest]

have you worked out how much the ingredients will cost, how many scotch eggs you will get out of a batch, how much you can sell them for and what percentage of the sale will the shop expect?

 

If you sell food to the public you need to have a hygiene certificate (which you can do on-line, costs about £30ish), the local council have to inspect your kitchen and you need public liability insurance (in the unlikely event of someone saying your food made them ill).

 

I make lemon curd for a lady that sells jams at a local farmers' market. She already has insurance etc. I make the curd, stick her labels on the jars and we splt the cost of the curd 60/40 (60% going to me). She pays for the stall and the jars and I pay for the ingredients. I also help her out at the market she does that's near me.

 

There's barely any profit in it at all to be honest (probably none if I factor in petrol to and from the shops, electricity and my time) but I do it more for the fun. I don't use our girls eggs as our girls are not DEFRA registered (that's another thing you might need to consider). She wants me to start making different flavoured curds for her this year.

 

The best thing to do, IMO, is go to the shop in person and have a chat with the owner. These things always work best face to face or go to your local farmers' market and see if any of the stall holders would be interested in selling your product.

 

Good luck, it is good fun but it won't make you a fortune

[pbfhpunk]

Thanks for that, like you I'm not looking to do it to make a profit, hadn't thought about that at all actually!!

 

Just thoguht about it as people seem to rave about them!! I've never had one as I don't like them - based on shop bought ones - and don't get the chance as DH nabs them all anyway!!

[BeckyBoo]

I looked at this too but in the end, never had £30 to spare for the online certificate (pathetic I know) so ended up selling every other Sunday or so in my local pub (as my ex was up there all the time anyway!) I made LOADS of chillies, chutneys, james etc and made over £70 at Christmas which was handy but then everything I used was either begged or borrowed or scrounged from other peoples gluts!

 

Like Poet said, speak to your local shop keeper, but if you're going to sell them through a shop you will have to have all those things.

 

Mrs B

[pbfhpunk]

 

If you sell food to the public you need to have a hygiene certificate (which you can do on-line, costs about £30ish), the local council have to inspect your kitchen and you need public liability insurance (in the unlikely event of someone saying your food made them ill).

 

 

Poet, do you have to pay for the council inspection and how much is the insurance?

 

I live in a rented cottage at the moment so would I have to register as a business at home even though it's a few a week if that?

 

Thanks

[pbfhpunk]

I looked at this too but in the end, never had £30 to spare for the online certificate (pathetic I know) so ended up selling every other Sunday or so in my local pub (as my ex was up there all the time anyway!) I made LOADS of chillies, chutneys, james etc and made over £70 at Christmas which was handy but then everything I used was either begged or borrowed or scrounged from other peoples gluts!

 

Like Poet said, speak to your local shop keeper, but if you're going to sell them through a shop you will have to have all those things.

 

Mrs B

 

So is selling in the pub different to selling in a shop? and you don't have to get the certificate and council check?

 

H

[Guest]

ring your environmental helath dept at your council and they'll advise you about hygiene inspections etc.

 

The insurance will possibly be £100 or year or so but best ring around for quotes. I don't pay the insurance because I'm making the curd for somebody else's business and she has her own insurance. Likewise, can't advise you about business registration as I make mine for someone else. If you're selling under your own name, you might have to. Maybe the shop can put their own label on your scotch eggs and then you would be protected by their insurance etc? Best to have a chat with the shop.

[chooklady]

Sorry to hijack this topic but was wondering if the same sort of thing applies if you sell produce to friends and family. I was thinking of building up a stock of goodies (I also make cards) through the year and then have an day/evening and invite friends and family around with some wine and tastings etc but don't want to get in trouble if you are not really allowed to do that sort of thing, any advice gratefully received.

[The Dogmother]

I asked DEFRA and the IR about this a couple of years ago and the general consensus was that on such a small scale, they really aren't bothered.

[chooklady]

I asked DEFRA and the IR about this a couple of years ago and the general consensus was that on such a small scale, they really aren't bothered.

 

Thanks Claret, much appreciated.