Starting a Street Food Business: What to Sort Before Your First Pitch

Street food has become one of the most accessible ways into the food business. Start-up costs are far lower than opening a restaurant, you can test a menu in front of real customers within weeks, and a good stall at the right market or festival can build a following quickly. It still carries the same responsibilities as any other food business, though, and most of the work happens long before the first customer arrives.

Register before you trade

Any business that sells food in the UK must register with its local authority. The Food Standards Agency advises registering at least 28 days before you start trading, and registration is free. Your council’s environmental health team may then inspect you and give you a food hygiene rating, which customers can look up and many events will ask to see.

You’ll also need permission to trade in a particular spot. Councils usually control street trading through a licence or consent, and markets and events have their own application processes. Rules vary between areas, so contact the council where you plan to trade early on.

Get the food safety basics right

You must have a food safety management system based on the principles of HACCP, which means identifying the points where food could become unsafe and controlling them. The Food Standards Agency’s Safer Food, Better Business pack is a practical way to put this in writing. Anyone handling food needs appropriate training too, and a Level 2 food hygiene certificate is the standard many organisers expect.

Allergens need particular care in a busy stall. You have to be able to tell customers if any of the 14 major allergens are in your food, so keep accurate, up-to-date information for every dish and make sure everyone working the stall knows where it is.

Think like a trader, not just a cook

The most successful stalls tend to have a short menu. Three or four dishes you can make quickly and consistently will serve far more customers at peak times than a long list you struggle to keep up with. Work out the cost of every portion, including packaging and pitch fees, before you set prices.

Pitch fees can be a flat charge or a percentage of takings, and they vary widely between a weekly local market and a large festival. Start small, learn how many portions you actually sell, and move up once your numbers are reliable.

Before your first pitch: checklist

• Register with your local authority at least 28 days ahead
• Apply for a street trading licence or event pitch
• Set up a written food safety system
• Complete food hygiene training
• Prepare allergen information for every dish
• Arrange public liability insurance, which most events require
• Have gas appliances checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer if you cook with gas