Home-Based Food Businesses

Many people operate their own small business from their residential home. This is called Home Occupation. The Monash Planning Scheme allows a person to use their residential home for home occupation provided certain specific requirements are fully satisfied. Please see the following guidelines for details: Home-Based Business in Monash Guidelines.

If you want to make food from home to sell to others, or store food at home to sell to others, you will be considered a food business. Therefore, you will require registration with Council under the Food Act 1984.

As a home-based food business, you must comply with the requirements of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, and understand the following:

• Domestic/residential kitchens are designed for domestic use, not for the operation of a food business
• Domestic kitchens are only suitable for small-scale, low to medium-risk food activities
• Large-scale and/or high-risk food activities need to be conducted from a commercial kitchen

For more information and the requirements of a home-based food business, please refer to the guide: Setting up a Home-Based Food Business(PDF, 1MB), and contact Council’s Public Health Unit on 9518 3555 or email mail@monash.vic.gov.au

For a short video on starting a home-based food business, please see the Department of Health’s website: How to start a home-based kitchen. 

For more information on the requirements of different food business classes, please see: Food Business Classifications.

Register online

Council now offers a streamlined online single application form and specialist customer service through a Business Application Officer to help you upfront and throughout your permit process (checklists and tools to guide you through assessing and applying for the right permits). Visit: Starting or Buying a Business - Business Application