Cake-making business

Like baking? why not make cakes from home?

Lets face it we all have birthdays, anniversaries, and celebrations and we all know people who also have celebrations, weddings and just love cake!  supplying this huge market is a great way to earn an income.  The British cake market was worth close to £1.8bn in 2007, a figure which is forecast to grow by almost 5% by 2012.

Interestingly, an economic downturn could actually be a good time to get started. As Jane Asher, (known for her brilliant cake making abilities) has it: “If you can survive now, you’re going to be really successful when things turn for the better.” 

Catherine Knight started her business, Cate Bakes Cake, after she was made redundant from The Times. As one of your jobs will be to deliver to events, she says, a cheerful disposition is a requirement. “You often deliver to birthday parties so you can’t be moody.”

Training: Cake making is a popular business, so to compete, you’ll need to make your cakes look as professional as possible. Training in all aspects of the industry, from sugarcraft to marzipan techniques, is key.  There are various qualifications you can aim to do – from NVQs to City and Guilds qualifications – and hundreds of courses for all levels, so you should be able to find one which will suit your commitments. Cake making courses start at around £190 for 10 weekly sessions, rising to around £500 for a 30-week NVQ course. Alternatively, The Bakery School has an on-line course which you can complete at your own pace. A one-year license for the downloadable software costs £250 plus VAT. 

You can start small by making cakes to friends, neighbours and work colleagues, and news will soon get around. You can also start to sell your cakes on the internet as your business grows.

visit: http://www.thebakeryschool.com/

START YOUR OWN HOME BASED CATERING BUSINESS 

Good cook?  Why not Cater for dinner parties? More and more people are choosing to entertain at home rather than going out.  And for busy career professionals on the run,  simple suppers like casseroles and shepherds pie to pop in the freezer will go down a treat. 

There are some basic regulations that apply if you are planning to run a catering business from home. The main ones are:  Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs, and the Food Hygiene Regulations 2006. Although this one applies specifically to England, there are equivalents for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Premises

you must register your business premises with the local authority at least 28 days before you plan to launch your business. The premises should be clean and in good repair, with adequate drinking water, pest control, lighting, ventilation, lavatory, hand washing and drainage facilities.

If you’re planning on using your kitchen or another site which isn’t purpose-built, make sure you keep all pets, and soft furnishings, out of the room. The rules also require a separate sink in or near the kitchen so you can wash your hands, and wipe-clean surfaces – so wooden tables are a no.

useful sites to visit:   http://www.intotheblue.co.uk/culinary-gourmet/cookery-courses/

CHOCOHOLICS..

CHOCOLATE MAKING FROM HOME

Chocolates make the perfect gift and wrapped up in luxury paper are a money spinning idea...

Grab yourself a good chocolate making book and practice! Visit a chocolatier and watch how it is done for ideas.  Truffles, are simple to start with and make perfect presents. 

Organic baby food:

All businesses start out small and you will hear of countless mums who have created organic and natural baby foods from home and then gone on to selling to the big supermarkets – why not you? If you love to cook and are inspired to create mini dishes for mini people you could go far!