OT: Starting a Cottage-Food business
#24
  Re: OT: Starting a Cottage-Food business by labradors (While thinking about...)
It's a shame this board isn't really active any more. It's funny, though: I came back here to look for a recipe I was trying to find and I happened to run across this old thread.

Since I'm here, I'll post an update (in case anyone happens to read it).

The cottage-food business is going very well. I started selling in December 2015 and started at a second farmers market in February 2016 and am still selling at both of them more than seven years later.

Of course, COVID shut everything down for a short while, but everything came back after the end of the lockdowns and sales immediately rose to new highs because customers were fed up with being told they had to stay at home.

In this thread, I mentioned some of the things I was considering selling. Here is my current list of what I AM selling:
  • Finnish Cardamom Bread
  • "English-Muffin" Bread
  • Multigrain Bread
  • Cheddar-Jalapeño Bread
  • Bakewell Tarts
  • Eccles Cakes
  • Coffee Jelly (just like what I found in Guatemala, but I make it myself, now)
  • Chocolate-Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies with the Coffee Jelly in the thumbprints
  • Guanábana Jam (in English, that would be Soursop Jam)
  • Mini Apple Cakes
  • Scottish Shortbread
  • Melting Moments
  • Chocolate-Chocolate-Chip Muffins with Belgian Dark-Chocolate Chips
  • Vegan Banana Muffins
  • Blueberry Muffins (seasonal - Summer)
  • Pumpkin-Spice Muffins (seasonal - Fall to early winter)
  • Sticky-Toffee Muffins (seasonal - January until I run out of dates for the muffins)
  • Orange Muffins (seasonal - the rest of Winter and Spring until fresh blueberries are in)
  • Snickerdoodles made with coconut flour, instead of wheat flour
  • Vegan, Sugar-Free, Flourless, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free and Soy-Free cookies made from sunflower seeds, monkfruit sweetener with erythritol, chia seeds and salt
Also, by order or on special occasions:
  • Irish Soda Bread
  • Brioche Hamburger Buns
  • Spelt Rolls
  • Mini Lemon Cakes
  • Vegan, Flourless Chocolate-Chip Cookies (made with chickpeas)
  • Bran Muffins
  • Pecan Tartlets / Tassies
  • Ruby-Chocolate Ganache Tarts

It's amazing how well everything sells and how many very regular, loyal customers I have now. Florida's cottage-food laws have changed, over time, and I can even send my products by mail or UPS now, instead of just being restricted to farmers markets, etc., although I haven't really been doing much mail-order, because of how much I'd have to charge for shipping, etc.

Anyway, that's the latest. I hope this forum eventually becomes active again.
If blueberry muffins have blueberries in them, what do vegan muffins have?
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#25
  Re: OT: Starting a Cottage-Food business by labradors (While thinking about...)
I struggled to get my password and stuff figured out.

It's good to see you. I check this site and was so happy to see you and learn of your success. I am excited for you and all the wonderful sounding items you're selling.

Oregon has pretty cool Cottage Food Industry rules. Bob and I are lucky, we've both passed the Washington Food Handlers test several times so . . . if I can convince my back that I should do this I'd love to get the license.
You only live once . . . but if you do it right once should be enough!
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#26
  Re: OT: Starting a Cottage-Food business by labradors (While thinking about...)
Just noticed your reply. How are things going?

Most states' cottage-food laws do not require any license or certification. That's generally the whole point of it. In fact, with most, the foods that you produce in your home kitchen are made regardless of license and things for which you would use the license must be made in a commercial kitchen and cannot be made at home. Likewise, if you do produce items in a commercial kitchen and sell them under your license, you cannot sell any additional, home-produced items in the same business or use any of the home-produced items in the licensed business.

Of course, each state is different.

Good luck in your endeavors.
If blueberry muffins have blueberries in them, what do vegan muffins have?
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