Selling Home Made Pies and Sandwiches

by Jess
(Burnley)


Hi. We really hope we can get some solid guidance today as our local council isn't open and we'd like to know if our idea of where to trade is even a possibility?. We've managed to get permission to use our home kitchen to cook and prepare food.

Our dream is to own a Jiffy style van to sell home made pies, top notch sandwiches, fruit, snacks, drinks etc. We intend to source our ingredients meat/bread/veg/salad locally and without using additives or anything processed. Just honest tasty fat grub!

Our initial idea is to get pre placed orders delivered and out of the way to then have a unique horn similar to that of an ice cream van and sell on various sites, places of work, council estates throughout the morning and lunch Monday to Friday. So we'd sound the horn like an ice cream van would and then park in a convenient place for say 30 minutes then off to the next site etc etc

We'd love to know peoples thoughts, ideas, knowledge in this area please. We do have a market we are welcome to join as a back up BUT we much prefer plan A.

Jess and Claire x

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Jun 19, 2025
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starstarstarstarstar 		The Good News First – Your Plan Is Possible
by: MobCater

What you're describing is similar to a mobile catering business, and while it can be done, there are important rules around where you can trade, licensing, public nuisance, and food safety.

1. Legal Requirements & Considerations

-Licences You’ll Likely Need

Food Business Registration

- Sounds like you’ve already done this with your home kitchen – that's a great start. Ensure it’s registered with your local council at least 28 days before trading.

Street Trading Licence (or Consent)
- This is the key one for your plan.
- You’ll need permission from every local authority you want to trade in — even briefly. Some councils are strict about this (especially if you're pulling up in council estates or near businesses), while others are more flexible.

Important: Some boroughs prohibit street trading without prior approval, and others may restrict using horns/sound devices (ice cream vans are typically an exception with strict rules).

Use of a Vehicle with a Horn (for Selling)

Using a horn to attract customers like an ice cream van might need specific council permission under noise regulations. Some councils ban it completely for anything other than traditional ice cream vans.

Public Liability Insurance

-You’ll need this for peace of mind — usually £5M cover for mobile caterers.

Van Requirements (e.g., Jiffy-style)
Your vehicle will need to meet food hygiene and safety standards (e.g., hot/cold separation, wash basins, etc.) and be inspected by Environmental Health.

2. Potential Roadblocks

You can’t just stop anywhere – Even for 30 minutes, if it’s public land, you need permission. Especially near schools, workplaces, or housing estates.

High chance of complaints – Not because of your food (which sounds brilliant!) but due to:

- Sounding a horn in residential areas

-Parking in busy zones or near other food outlets

- Obstructing the highway or pavements

Council rules differ – Each local authority sets its own street trading laws. If you're moving through multiple boroughs, it becomes tricky.

3. Ways to Make Plan A Work (Legally & Successfully)

Here are some practical steps to align your dream with UK regulations:

Tweak Your Model:

Replace the horn with social media alerts, WhatsApp groups, or geo-alerts like "We’re here until 12:30!"
It creates the same anticipation without the risk of breaking noise or trading laws.

Schedule "pop-up" stops on private land

Partner with:

- Local businesses (industrial estates, office car parks)

- Churches or clubs with car parks

- Farmers or community centres who’ll let you trade for a small fee or free

On private land with permission, you don’t need a street trading licence.

Advertise fixed routes and build community loyalty — e.g., "Tuesdays we’re in Parkside Estate, Thursdays we’re outside GreenTech Industrial."

4. Market as a Backup? A Great Idea

Having a market stall as a plan B is smart — it gives you a legal and low-risk base to build your brand, especially as you work out the logistics and test your recipes. You can even promote your roaming service from there.

Final Thoughts and Encouragement
Your idea is creative, community-focused, and totally viable with the right permissions and a bit of adaptation. Many successful food vans started just like this — with local food, mobile service, and a clear identity.

Next Steps Checklist:

- Register as a food business (done!)
- Speak to your local licensing team when they open – ask about:
- Street trading consent
- Horn use rules

Trading on private land with permission
- Start scouting private pitch locations
- Create a route map & online promotion plan
- Get vehicle inspection and insurance

Best of luck and hope this helps somewhat

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