| Has anyone ever told you to sell that delicious pound | | | | Three years ago the Raleigh Farmer’s Market |
| cake? Have friends and family insisted you could be | | | | asked home-bakers to sell their goods at the Crafters |
| making a mint selling your delicious sugar cookies? If | | | | Shed away from the main market area. Today there |
| this sounds like you, then you could be baking up profits | | | | is a specific area for home-based bakers and the |
| from your kitchen. All over the country there are | | | | public is flocking to their tables. The baked goods are |
| countless home-based bakeries delivering heavenly | | | | fresh, delicious and offer a variety not available in |
| baked goods throughout the community. | | | | grocery stores. |
| There are many responsibilities that go with starting a | | | | Let there be no mistake, operating a home-based |
| home-based bakery. You will first need to have a | | | | bakery is hard work. It means long hours and a |
| Food Regulatory Specialist/Food Compliance Officer | | | | commitment to quality, but for those who take on the |
| come to your home and inspect it. In most cases the | | | | challenge it is by far the best job in the whole. You set |
| Department of Agriculture is the governing agency | | | | your own hours, you provide the public with delicious |
| that will oversee your compliance inspection. Your | | | | goods that can only be duplicated by you and for |
| kitchen will need to be inspected to assure that it is | | | | those with families they are their when the children get |
| clean and in proper condition to produce baked goods | | | | home from school. |
| that are suitable for human consumption. Although a | | | | The down side of the profession use to be the |
| license is not required for a home-based bakery, and a | | | | isolation, but a home-based bakery forum has been |
| separate kitchen is not needed, you will have to | | | | created to help bakers stay in touch with one another |
| comply with special conditions set down by the | | | | and support one another building camaraderie among |
| Department of Agriculture or your local regulatory | | | | home-based bakers that never existed before. |
| agency. | | | | Baking for a living is an honorable profession, plus |
| There are currently 11 states that allow home-based | | | | Internet access offers many bakers the opportunity to |
| bakers to sell their baked goods/candies to the public. | | | | sell their products online. For example, Diane, the owner |
| The states are: Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, New | | | | of Maine’s Cakes and Cookies, has been baking |
| Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, | | | | from home for more than five years. She loves what |
| Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia ; all others | | | | she does and proves the public with incredible baked |
| should check with their local (county) health | | | | goods. This is also a wonderful way for those who |
| departments or food safety agencies. | | | | cook for a living, e.g. personal chef’s to offer their |
| Operating a home-based bakery means finding your | | | | clients a little touch of something fresh from the oven. |
| niche. Do you cake decorate; make custom cookies or | | | | The next time someone say’s, you really should |
| a fabulous dry jerk rub? Years ago when the country | | | | think about selling that pie or cake or cookie. Look into |
| was predominately rural there were many | | | | operating a home-based bakery. You never know |
| home-based bakers and home cooks and bakers sold | | | | where the journey will take you and good |
| their jams, preserves and jellies, along with homemade | | | | home-baked goods are like jobs, hard to find. |
| breads, pastries, cakes, pies and cookies. | | | | |