Small-batch craft soy sauce brewer

Local delis, specialty grocers, restaurants and cafes, plus foodies who buy at farmers markets or online.

You sell bottles wholesale to shops and restaurants, and at a higher retail price at markets and online. Fermentation takes months, so you build up stock before you earn much.

• Patience and careful record keeping
• Cooking and fermentation know-how
• Selling to shops and chefs

• Food business registration with your local council, and your state's food safety rules
• Labelling rules under the Food Standards Code, including allergens such as soy and wheat, so check before you bottle
• Food safety risks in fermenting and bottling, so keep good records and test your process
• Public liability and product liability insurance
• Long wait before the first sales because of fermentation time

Estimated startup costs are typically around $4,000 to $18,000, depending on equipment, ingredients, bottling and labelling, and how much kitchen time you rent. Renting a licensed shared kitchen means you don't build your own site.

Check food business registration with your local council and your state's food safety rules. Also check labelling rules under the Food Standards Code, including allergens such as soy and wheat, and public liability and product liability insurance.

Estimated monthly revenue is typically around $800 to $5,000, depending on batch size and where you sell. Fermentation means a long wait before your first sales, so plan your cash flow for that gap.