5 Key Steps to Open a Home-Based Indian Food Business

Do you think your Indian culinary skills are worth appreciating? Do your UK friends often tell you to become a professional chef or suggest creating a YouTube channel to share your knowledge on Indian food cooking? If yes, you should think about opening a home-based Indian food business in the UK. It’s a great idea to turn your passion into a lucrative business without investing much.

The UK catering sector is worth a billion dollars, and luckily, it is not dominated by a few big companies. As such, opening an Indian food business in the UK is the best business option.

What do you need to run a food business from home in the UK?

• A Theme at Which You Excel
• A Strong Business Plan
• The Right License
• Online Access to Indian grocery stores
• The Right Food Cooking Equipment

• A Theme at Which You Excel

Think about a specific theme because theme-based food businesses are quite popular in the catering sector. It allows you to stand out and create a base of loyal customers.

To determine the right theme for your food business, learn about your strengths, the type of cuisines you enjoy cooking and excel at, and what the market in your area looks like.

To achieve the best results, try to find out those needs that are unfulfilled. Is there a lack of wedding caterers in your area? Or, does your locality consist of mainly Indian families that love to have South Indian or North Indian food?

In short, find out what it is that can make your food business thrive in your area.

• A Strong Business Plan

Since you will be opening a home-based Indian food business, you don’t have to worry about buying real estate properties.

Still, you will need money to obtain a license, buy food equipment, repurpose the area of your home where you will be cooking and serving, buying groceries in bulk, and so on.

So, outline your vision and determine whether you need a small business loan.

Create and write a business plan even if you are going to pay for all expenses out of your pocket. It will help you get clarity on your business idea, identify any hurdles, set goals, assess competition, and create a budget.

• The Right License

To carry out food operations at home (even on a temporary basis), you will need to apply for food premises approval, also called food business registration.

The food operations might include food preparation, cooking, handling food and raw material, storing, selling, and distributing food.

In case you are going to prepare food at home and selling it on a stall in the local market, you will need a license for both your home and the stall.

Another thing you need to take care of is food hygiene standards.

• Online Access to Indian Grocery Stores

It’s difficult to find Indian food spices and materials in regular grocery stores in the UK. Thus, you will need to find an Indian Grocery Store in advance so that you can easily buy everything that you need to prepare Indian cuisines at ease.

We understand the finding one near your home is not always possible. So, find an Indian grocery store that allows you to order online and delivers in your area. It will save a lot of time and save you from the hassle of carrying all the groceries on your own.

• The Right Food Cooking Equipment

The type of food cooking equipment will vary based on the type of food you will be making. Do you need a tandoor oven, grilling equipment, a commercial food oven, or a commercial-grade gas stove with three to four burners?  

Apart from cooking equipment, you will also need to buy dishes, pots and pans, basic utensils, cutlery, cutting boards, boxes/containers for takeaway orders, etc. You can add more kitchenware and equipment as your business grows.

To run a successful Indian food business in the UK, you will also need to use accounting software to better manage your finances, mileage tracking apps if you will be making home deliveries, and account for marketing techniques.