Food business ideas you can start from home in Australia

43 ideas

These 43 food business ideas suit people who want to earn from their own kitchen or spare room without renting a shopfront. Some are cooking-based, like home-based handmade chocolates or home patisserie, pre-order cakes and pastries.

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1k to 5k 5k to 20k Over 20k Out and about Own premises Online

Large sacks of coffee beans stacked in a wholesale storage warehouse.

Coffee wholesale reseller

Buy roasted beans in bulk from a roaster and supply local cafés, offices and shops.

A$1.5k-7k
Side hustle
From home

Colourful sweets in glass jars on shelves inside a traditional sweet shop.

Online lolly and gift box shop

Sell lollies, chocolates and themed gift boxes online and post them around Australia.

A$1.5k-8k
Side hustle
From home

Artisan chocolatier hand-piping chocolates in a small kitchen workshop.

Home-based handmade chocolates

Make small batches of filled chocolates and bars at home and sell them online, at markets and to local gift buyers.

A$2k-8k
Side hustle
From home

Shopkeeper slicing cold meats at a deli counter filled with cheeses and prepared foods.

Online deli boxes and grazing platters

Take online orders for grazing platters and deli hampers, made to order and delivered or collected.

A$1.5k-8k
Side hustle
From home

Producer preparing fresh food items in a clean kitchen or small production unit.

Home kitchen food maker for markets

Make jams, sauces, baked goods or snacks in an approved home kitchen and sell at local markets.

A$1k-5k
Side hustle
From home

Workers packing food ingredients and packaging on a production line in a factory.

Ingredient and packaging broker for food makers

Source ingredients and packaging for small food producers from your home office, with orders shipped direct from wholesalers.

A$1k-5k
Side hustle
From home

Colourful celebration cakes and sponges arranged in a cake shop display cabinet.

Home-based celebration cake maker

Bake custom birthday, wedding and event cakes to order from a registered home kitchen.

A$1k-5k
Side hustle
From home

A courier carrying insulated bags of ready meals to a customer's front door.

Home-cooked meal delivery

Cook ready-to-eat meals in a council-approved kitchen and deliver them to local customers.

A$4k-20k
Side hustle
From home

Fresh apples being pressed to make cider at a rural mill.

Small-batch cider from a shed or farm

Press local apples and make small runs of cider to sell at markets, bottle shops and local pubs.

A$6k-30k
Side hustle
From home

Freshly baked cookies displayed on a counter in a small bakery shop.

Home-baked cookies sold by online order

Bake cookies at home and sell boxes and gift orders through social media and local pickup or delivery.

A$800-3.5k
Side hustle
From home

Workers packing packaged food products on a factory production line.

Home-made packaged foods (low-risk)

Make jams, sauces, biscuits or spice mixes in small batches and sell them at markets and online.

A$1.5k-7k
Side hustle
From home

Elegant French pastries and cakes displayed in a patisserie window.

Home patisserie, pre-order cakes and pastries

Bake French-style pastries and celebration cakes from a council-approved home kitchen for pre-orders and local markets.

A$1.5k-6k
Side hustle
From home

A colourful buffet table with snacks and sandwiches laid out for a children's party.

Kids' party food boxes from home

Prepare ready-to-serve party buffets in a registered kitchen and deliver them to parents hosting at home or in a hall.

A$1k-5k
Side hustle
From home

Sacks and crates of spices being loaded for overseas shipping from a warehouse.

Home-based spice export trader

Source spices from Australian growers and packers and sell them to overseas importers and wholesalers from your laptop.

A$3k-15k
Side hustle
From home

Freshly baked Chinese buns and pastries displayed on trays in a bakery shop.

Home Chinese bakery with pre-orders

Bake pineapple buns, egg tarts and wife cakes at home and sell by pre-order for pickup or local delivery.

A$1.5k-6k
Side hustle
From home

Packed lunch boxes lined up ready for delivery in a kitchen.

Office lunch box supplier from a home kitchen

Prepare packed lunch boxes for local offices and meetings, pre-ordered and delivered by you.

A$1k-5k
Side hustle
From home

Baker serving fresh bread and pastries behind a bakery shop counter.

Home bakery for bread and cakes

Bake bread, cakes and pastries from a registered home kitchen and sell to neighbours, markets and online orders.

A$1k-6k
Side hustle
From home

Staff assembling fresh made-to-order salads with vegetables at a bright lunchtime counter.

Pre-order salad lunches for local delivery

Take online orders for fresh salads and healthy bowls and deliver to nearby offices and homes.

A$2k-12k
Side hustle
From home

Green coffee beans tumbling in a roasting drum with roasted beans nearby.

Small-batch coffee roaster selling online

Roast small batches of specialty beans and sell them online and at local markets.

A$3k-12k
Side hustle
From home

Baker decorating a tiered wedding cake in a bakery kitchen.

Home-based wedding cake maker

Bake and decorate custom wedding cakes to order from your home kitchen, if your council allows it, one wedding at a time.

A$1.5k-6k
Side hustle
From home

Display of artisan cheeses and cured meats on a counter in a specialist grocery shop.

Online gourmet food and hamper store

Sell curated specialty foods and gift hampers online, shipped from home or a small storage space.

A$3k-15k
Side hustle
From home

Freshly made soup in takeaway containers on a shop counter.

Pre-order soup from a home kitchen

Cook soup in small batches and sell weekly pre-order tubs for local pickup or delivery.

A$1.5k-8k
Side hustle
From home

Bulk sacks and tubs of spices stored in a wholesale warehouse.

Home-based spice supplier to local cafes and grocers

Buy spices in bulk, repack them at home and supply local cafes, delis and grocers.

A$2k-10k
Side hustle
From home

Green olives being pressed into oil at a traditional mill.

Small-batch olive oil from bought fruit

Buy olives from local growers, get them pressed, and sell the oil at markets and to local shops.

A$3k-15k
Side hustle
From home

About these ideas

Others are closer to retail, such as an online Japanese pantry store, where you source and sell products rather than cook them. Before you choose, check what food rules apply to your idea. Council registration, food safety training, labelling and kitchen requirements can differ between states and councils, and between making food and simply reselling packaged goods. Think about storage space, insurance, delivery and how many orders you can realistically handle each week. Starting small with pre-orders is often a sensible way to test demand.

More ideas

Questions

Can I legally sell food I make at home in Australia?

Often possible, but rules vary by state and council. Check whether your local council requires food business registration, whether your kitchen needs to meet certain standards, and what your state's food safety and labelling rules say about your product.

Do I need food safety training or a food safety supervisor?

It depends on your state, your council and the type of food you handle. Ask your council what applies to your business, and consider a food handling course anyway, as it helps you manage risks like allergens and storage.

Which home food ideas are cheapest to start?

Reselling packaged products or taking pre-orders for small batches usually needs less equipment than full production. Compare ingredient costs, packaging, insurance, council fees and delivery before choosing, and test a small run to see if customers will pay your price.