The Covid-19 pandemic has hit the food and hospitality industries particularly hard, but 2022 might be the ideal time to set up your new food-related business. While things aren’t completely back to normal, restaurants and other related businesses are up and running once again, and the market is less saturated than it used to be.

If you can make sure that your food business is profitable and successful, then you can take advantage of the consumer desire for this industry. Whether you’re planning a restaurant, caterers, or food manufacturing business, these tips can help you get started.

1. Become Familiar With the Law

The first step to branching out in the food industry is to make sure that you’re familiar with general food law. While Britain has moved away from the EU, you will still be subject to strict laws and regulations to make sure that your business is as safe as possible.

In short, your business should make sure that:

• The food is traceable
• The food is presented appropriately
• People know what’s in the food
• Unsafe food is withdrawn and recalled
• Food moved in or out of Great Britain complies with food law

Going against the food law could have severe consequences for you and your business. Your food needs to be safe for consumption. Your customers and the government will ensure that an unsafe food business is shut down before long. 

As well as keeping track of the food itself, this also means that you should prepare and store the food safely. You should also keep your equipment clean, ideally using extraction cleaning services among other professional cleaning services. 

2. Plan Your Niche

As with other businesses, the food industry has many niches. Your specific unique selling point depends on what kind of business you plan on setting up. For example, if you’re opening a restaurant or cafe, it’s beneficial to have a set theme that you stick to. 

Even if you want to serve foods from all around the world, use that as a unique selling point and work out the menu and brand to accommodate that. Or, if you’re planning a catering service, then consider catering exclusively to weddings or businesses.

This involves finding a target market, so you know what the local market has an opening for. If there are dozens of Indian restaurants in the area, then consider opening something new. The same applies if there’s no interest in that kind of restaurant.

3. Prepare Your Kitchen

Your kitchen, regardless of your specific business, is where the magic happens. As well as being hygienic and safe, your kitchen should be designed to suit your needs. Most commercial kitchens are made with stainless steel, as this material helps you to keep things cleaner.

Your kitchen should also be laid out to accommodate your staff and equipped properly. For example, a bakery business will need large ovens and mixing machines, but sous vide facilities are likely unnecessary and will simply get in the way. Plan your equipment carefully and think of it as an investment.