How to start a home-based food business in Australia

In every Australian state and territory, selling food made in your home kitchen makes you a food business: you must notify or register with your local council (or, in the ACT and NT, the territory health service) before you start. The rules are national (Food Standards Code Standards 3.2.2 and 3.2.3), but each state decides how you register, what a home kitchen may make and what it costs. Low-risk foods such as biscuits and cakes without cream are the usual fit for a home kitchen. Higher-risk foods often need a food safety supervisor or a commercial kitchen. Once you're registered, Menuthere gives you a free ordering page, and Lite (US$17 a month) adds pre-orders for a chosen date and online card payments.

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The national rules every home kitchen follows

FSANZ, the national standards body, says a home-based food business must meet the same food safety requirements as any other food business, whatever its size and however often it sells. That includes selling food online from home. The main requirements:

• Notify your local regulator (usually the council) before you start, under Standard 3.2.2.
• Premises and equipment under Standard 3.2.3: a hand-wash basin with warm running water, soap and single-use towels (council approval if it's also your sink), fridges that hold 5°C or colder, easy-to-clean benches, safe water, and somewhere to store business food separately.
• Skills and knowledge for everyone who handles the food.
• Labelling under Part 1.2 if you package food, including allergens. See allergen labelling.
• Standard 3.2.2A (in force since December 2023) if you handle unpackaged, potentially hazardous, ready-to-eat food. Category one businesses (they make that kind of food and serve it) need a certified food safety supervisor, trained food handlers and records. Category two businesses (they only sell it, for example reheat or slice) need the first two.

Pets, children and visitors must be kept out of the food area while you're working.

State by state: who you register with

New South Wales

• Selling direct to customers (from home, at markets, online): the council regulates you. Notify through the council's application process. Some councils won't approve high-risk foods at home.
• Selling to cafés or shops to resell: notify the NSW Food Authority instead. Some manufacturers of high-risk food also need a Food Authority licence.
• Food safety supervisor (FSS): needed if you sell food that is ready-to-eat, needs temperature control and isn't in the supplier's original packaging. The NSW Food Authority lists home-based businesses and outlets selling through third-party ordering apps among those that need one. The FSS certificate comes from an approved training organisation and must be renewed every 5 years.

Victoria

Councils register food premises under the Food Act 1984 and place each one in a class by its highest-risk activity. From Safe Food Victoria's classification page (updated August 2026):

Your council decides the final class. Selling at markets or from a food truck is separate: temporary and mobile premises are registered through FoodTrader, which has replaced Streatrader. FoodTrader can't be used for your home (fixed) premises, which you register directly with the council.

Queensland

Under the Food Act 2006 most food businesses need a food business licence from the council, including businesses that manufacture food and those that make food at home for markets. The state lists exceptions, such as a business that only sells unpackaged snack food like cakes and biscuits without cream or custard. Ask your council which applies to you. Licensable businesses must nominate a food safety supervisor. Some councils won't allow particular foods in a domestic kitchen, and planning, building and plumbing approvals may also apply.

ACT

You must register under the Food Act 2001 before you sell. ACT home kitchens are approved only for low-risk, shelf-stable food: biscuits, cookies, cooked cakes, cupcakes, muffins, brownies, bread, jam, honey and similar. Meat, dairy products, cooked rice or pasta, cut fruit, ready-to-eat meals, relishes and cream, custard or fruit-purée fillings need a commercial kitchen. You'll need to have started food safety supervisor training before you apply, and a public health officer will inspect your kitchen.

Other states and territories

Worked example: first-year costs for a home cupcake business

Real fees for 2026–27 from official pages (prices as of October 2026). Training costs are set by each training organisation, so they're not included.

On a A$60 cupcake box paid by card through your own Stripe account on Lite, Stripe's domestic card fee is 1.65% + A$0.30, about A$1.29. Menuthere takes 0% commission. Price your boxes with the cake price calculator.

GST: you only have to register once your GST turnover reaches A$75,000. Most cakes and biscuits are taxable once you're registered. See GST on restaurant and takeaway food.

Selling online and delivering

Once your kitchen is registered, selling online is allowed in every state. The food rules follow the food:

• Allergens. Customers ordering online can't ask you at the counter, so list allergens on each product. Menuthere has allergen tags on every dish, on every plan.
• Packaged products sold online or through shops need a full label (ingredients, allergens, use-by or best-before, your name and address). The ACT's checklist names online retail stores specifically.
• Delivery. FSANZ says to keep hot food at 60°C or above and cold food at 5°C or below during delivery, using insulated bags or eskies, with hot and cold food kept apart.
• Traceability. Keep records of your ingredients, suppliers and any business you sell to.

How Menuthere fits a home food business

• Free plan, US$0: your own ordering page and QR code, pickup and delivery orders sent to your WhatsApp, up to 50 orders a month, 0% commission and no card needed to sign up. Customers can pay you at pickup.
• Lite, US$17 a month: pre-orders for a chosen date and time (useful for birthday cakes), online card payments, Apple Pay and Google Pay through your own Stripe account, coupons and your own domain. See connect Stripe.
• Menu from a photo: upload a photo or PDF of your price list and Menuthere imports it.

See how it works for bakers on the home bakery website and online ordering for bakeries pages, or compare plans on pricing. Lite and Pro have a 7-day free trial (a card is needed to start, and nothing is charged until it ends). More on the free online ordering system.

This page is general information as of October 2026. Requirements and fees differ by council, so check with yours before you start.

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