Underground Food Scene

Kjbartolotta

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Selling smalls batches of food products you make in your house is nothing new. Obvs, safety comes into it, but people do it all the time. I'd worry a bit more about meat, but ice cream is legit and everyone loves it. I'd say it could work. If nothing else, Ted the Outlaw Ice Cream Man is a killer story idea.
 

MaeZe

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Don't know about other countries or states but selling food commercially out of one's home is legal here. There are some basic rules and I believe you need a license (easy to get).

In the US check with the local health department, they can probably tell you what you need.
 

mccardey

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Don't know about other countries or states but selling food commercially out of one's home is legal here. There are some basic rules and I believe you need a license (easy to get).

In the US check with the local health department, they can probably tell you what you need.

It was pretty big in both Malaysia and France. Down here (regional 'semi-rural' Australia) quite a few people I know sell makings - not prepared food, but definitely prepared home-grown ingredients.(We have some classy restos down here that pay extra for organic local vegies, eggs or meat.) There are hoops to jump through, but they're not onerous. Not terribly.
 
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cornflake

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The laws in the U.S. vary by municipality.

Here, you can sell certain items made at home at certain places only. Like specific types of baked goods at farmer's markets is ok, but you can't sell the same thing to people (the kind of thing we're talking about) unless you're operating out of a commercial kitchen. No idea how the specifics came to be specifics.

There are also here, though, a few commercial kitchens that you can rent space in on whatever basis you need (hourly, daily, whatever), for not much. They're often communal (like workspace rental places but for cooking) and support tons of small businesses who go in, cook their stuff, and go on their way with their goods. It's a good system. It not only helps people meet the requirements, but it's more space and better, large-scale equipment than most people have at home, so it saves time and stress.