Local meat supplier with a refrigerated van

Independent restaurants, caterers, butcher shops, small grocers and food trucks.

You sell at a markup on what you pay producers, usually per kilo or per case. Sales figures can look large, but your margin is a small share, so repeat weekly orders and low waste matter most.

• Sales and relationship building
• Knowledge of meat cuts and grades
• Route planning and reliable delivery
• Careful record keeping and food safety habits

• Licensing: check whether you need a provincial licence or a federal Safe Food for Canadians licence, which can depend on whether you trade across provincial borders
• Cold chain and traceability rules, including temperature records and recall plans
• Commercial general liability, product liability and vehicle insurance
• Thin margins and customers who pay late, so check your payment terms
• Rules differ by province, and Quebec has its own requirements, so check with your provincial regulator

Estimates suggest startup costs typically around $15,000 to $60,000, depending on the refrigerated van, your first stock purchases and insurance. Your costs will vary with how much product you buy and how big your starting route is.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $10,000 to $50,000, depending on how many restaurants and shops you supply and your order sizes. That is revenue, not profit, and margins can be thin. Plan for about 25 hours a week or more.

Check whether you need a provincial licence or a federal Safe Food for Canadians licence, which can depend on trading across provincial borders. Also check cold chain and traceability rules, insurance, and any Quebec or other provincial requirements.