How to start a home bakery in the UK: a step-by-step checklist
Starting a home bakery is mostly about doing a few dull things once, properly. Here is the order to do them in.
Before you sell
- Register with your council at least 28 days before trading (GOV.UK).
- Do a Level 2 food hygiene course. It is not legally required, but councils like to see it.
- Set up your food safety records and fridge temperature log.
- Check your mortgage, tenancy and home insurance allow it.
- Get public liability and product liability insurance.
Set up your products
- Cost and price every recipe properly.
- Write an allergen-correct ingredients list for each one.
- Decide how you will sell: loose, prepacked for direct sale, or posted.
Once you are trading
- Keep receipts and track income and expenses every month.
- Register as self-employed if you go over £1,000 a year (GOV.UK).
- Re-check prices whenever ingredient costs move.
Do all of this in one place
The Sold Out Bakes toolkit prices every bake, writes your label ingredients with allergens in order, and gives you the food safety records your council expects.
Get the toolkit · £50Guidance to help you stay organised, not legal advice. Always check the latest rules with your local council.