Posted by Greg Breland on February 13, 19101 at 11:41:13 :
In Reply to: Preparing product in clients home posted by Company's Comming! on February 10, 19101 at 21:38:32 :
: I want to know what I need to do legally if my catering service offers only in house catering. Using the clients kitchen, utensils, serving pieces etc.
: I live in Ontario Canada. Perhaps even some preperation at my home.
: Points of interest
:
: liscencing
: health issues
: liability
I'm in B.C. If you store anything involved in a paid for service, foods, smallwares, etc. or do any cooking or pre-prep in your home. You are doing it illegally. Any home operation has to be totally separate from your living quarters, you can't even have an access directly to your home. You will need a separate entrance just for the food business part. As far as cooking in the clients home, all food has to be delivered preped,and prepared in the clients home. Just as Sam has mentioned. You probably wouldn't be able to get a license to cater, without a place to do it in, as any business license to handle food, would have to be approved, with your local Health Department before the issue of such a license. As far as insurance goes, you had better be covered, because it is really easy for something to go wrong, when you are in the clients personal space. I know our Health Department frowns on such activity. Mainly because very few homes would be equipped to meet their requirements. Most homes that I have gone into, barely have any room in their refridgerators or freezers for any preprep or storeage. I can tell you from experience that if you are going to be cooking in their space, they are going to be hovering around, watching your every move, wanting to get their hands in on the action and nine times out of ten, they set up their bar in the kitchen also. So you are competing for running room. In BC. you need your " Food Safe I & II" in order to operate a Catering business. Ontario's may be different, so you should check anyways. If your serious about doing this and plan on doing it often, then as Sam says liability insurance is a must, here's a little scenario, you have left, a few items in a warming dish or chafer in the dining room, for late arrivals, your in the kitchen cleaning up, the hostess decides to move the chafer, so she can clear off the dining room table, for you, she places the chafer next to a wall, the wall begins to scortch, from the heat, another guest notices, this and tries to move the chafer away from the wall, the handles are hot, the quest drops the chafer, the sterno spills on the carpet, which starts to burn, the guests panic and scream, you come in, but it's to late the damage is done. It's your fault, you get sued, or have to pay for all the damages, thousands of dollars later, your glad to have insurance. Just my thoughts, hope this helps, it's not as easy as you think. But It can be done, and could be profitable, with the right forethought and preparation. Greg Breland