making a bit of dosh for christmas!

[organicsi]

When we came to Slovenia to live our income dropped by 75% Yes it was very scary indeed I thought MOM would never forgive me.
Anyway we were pretty desperate and I even ended up making my bosses packed lunch every day.
As I grew a lot of my own stuff and he went to a boarding school and so would eat anything it is fairly undemanding (he has to have whatever we are having.9
I charge him less than he would have to pay from a shop etc but it still pays for our lunch too!
Not so hard up now but I still keep going as it will pay for something! Like the credit cards that were run up in the meantime.
Anyway withthe credit crunch there might be folk who would be glad of some meals on wheels so ask around at work, I could do it for about 5 other people who have asked but they might want choice an I haven't got time for that sort of thing!

[Green Aura]

What about ready meals in jars or tubs - so they can go home and warm something up instead of cooking - I have to admit I don't know if fast food has hit Slovenia

Muffins, cookies and cakes usually go down well - especially if the sweet-toothed bunch here (see "that's it for the year" thread!) are anything to go by. And jams and chutneys. Again I don't know if these would fit the Slovenian diet.

[Marmalady]

check out your local regulations!!

Here in the UK, if you are providing food for public consumption (even if its only your boss/workmates) you must register you kitchen with your local Environmental Health Dept and hold a current Food Hygiene Certificate. Public Liability Insurance is also recommended

[organicsi]

I don't think it is a problem with the regulations here as I am not, strictly speaking selling any food. Taking your comment to its logical conclusion you could not even make a cake or have people round for lunch or a childrens birthday party. What about the pop up restaurants we have been hearing about in the UK? As i understood it you can have people round to your house to pay for food as long as you don't sell them any booze (without having to notify anyone.) Thanks for the ideas Green Aura but I am not planning to start mass catering its just yet! There are plenty of ready meals available too but they do love my jam!

[Marmalady]

I dont think the law has yet got around to regulating food you serve to friends in your own home -- but outside of the home it certainly does come under the regulations whether you are selling or giving the food away! And if you are charging your boss for his lunch that would certainly count as selling food.
Many schools nowadays cannot have a cake stall at their fund-raising events, children cannot take home-made cakes in to celebrate their birthday (only unopened commercial items) etc etc -- the ones that still allow home-made cakes etc are not actually complying with the law

When i was a child-minder I had to register my kitchen & have a food hygiene certificate just to provide snacks & meals to the children in my care; the volunteers that serve coffee after service at church on a sunday have to have the certificate

I now sell cakes & preserves at farmers markets - and it is a requirement of booking a stall that we have the certificate etc - and Environmental Health do come round & check up that stallholders have all the relevant certificates & registrations

[Darroch]

Marmalady, it's exactly the same in NZ. You have to have a 'commercial kitchen' NZ is a nation of bakers so the new rules went down like a lead balloon.

[Marmalady]

we havent gone as far as needing a commercial kitchen yet -- thankfully we can still bake in our home kitchens - so long as they have been registered & inspected

[Green Aura]

I don't think organicsi need worry too much about that if it's just a few pots of jam for a few friends. And you can always do an online Food Hygiene Cert - not expensive but may cost what you're likely to earn in the short term

My cousin makes, and sells, huge quantities of cakes etc to raise money for her church without any of this.

[oldjerry]

Our local church ,school ,fetes etc ALL have homemade cake stalls and I bet the the health police havent visited everybody ,( 'book him Danno,Food Hygiene Reg no.158' doesn't have the same ring to it really).

[Mrs Moustoir]

Quite topical this - heard something on the radio earlier in the week about a Chorley ladies group who were banned from serving home made cakes and biscuits at a meeting in a public library.

http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/news/ ... e_morning/

Sorry to hijack your thread organicsi - good luck with the lunch enterprise!

[Marmalady]

My cousin makes, and sells, huge quantities of cakes etc to raise money for her church without any of this.

I'm just saying what the UK law is
Just because some people are ignoring the law and so far have got away with it does not mean it is right

As Mrs Moustoir linked -- some places are very strict about selling home-made cakes without a Food Hygiene Certificate

[boboff]

I hope Cameron and his "health & Safety" review do something about this. The rules are daft, misapplied, and contra intelligent.

We can buy Hot Dogs and Bacon Butties of some fat sweaty arse scratching, fag smoking greese ball at a Car auction, out the back of a delipidated £500 wagon, but can't by a victoria sponge of a Mrs Bucket at the WI who made it in her £20,000 magnet kitchen? Look at the person, look at the food, if it don't look right it ain't right, I personally don't need to see a certificate to allow me to make that choice, and I object to over officious individuals telling that I am too stupid to make that choice.

[Green Aura]

Mrs Bucket at the WI who made it in her £20,000 magnet kitchen

You know my cousin then?

[Millymollymandy]

Hear hear Boboff!

[red]

as i understand it - and Marmalady can correct me if i am wrong, obtaining your food hygiene cert, and having your kitchen inspected/approved are not that difficult.

Personally i like the idea of there being some safety standards in place - in much the same way as soap makers have to have their soap recipe checked out. and it must be pretty annoying if you do abide by the rules to have to compete with those that dont.

I intend to get my cert and kitchen inspection and try my hand at selling foods - I might wait until we have overhauled the kitchen though - you know and have the complete set of walls and everything