Home-Baked pies on pre-order
Bake sweet and savoury pies at home and sell by pre-order, with pickup, delivery and market stalls.
- C$500-3k
- Side hustle
- From home
- Licence or permit needed
Estimates for a small start in Canada, not guarantees.
What it is
A small pie business run from a home kitchen where rules allow. You take orders ahead for set pickup days and focus on a short menu such as apple, butter tart-style sweet pies, chicken pot pie and tourtière.
Your first three steps
- Check with your province, public health unit and municipality whether you can sell pies made in a home kitchen, and what permits or inspections apply
- Test a menu of 3 to 5 pies, work out the cost per pie and set prices
- Open a pre-order page or social account and offer a first pickup day to friends and neighbours
Who pays
Local households, people hosting dinners and holidays, workplaces and shoppers at farmers' markets or craft sales.
How it makes money
Price per pie, with extra income from holiday orders (Thanksgiving, Christmas), pie subscriptions and bundles like a pie plus a side.
Skills that help
- Reliable pastry and filling skills
- Food safety habits
- Planning batches and pickup days
- Social media and photos of your pies
Watch out for
- Many provinces limit or prohibit selling perishable foods like meat pies from a home kitchen, so check before you start
- Home-based business licence or zoning rules from your municipality
- Food handler certification and labelling rules, including allergen information
- Commercial general liability insurance and product liability cover
- Check whether you need to register for GST/HST once revenue passes the small supplier threshold
Deep research report · Canada
Everything you need to start: home-baked pies on pre-order
Researched with live web search for Canada: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start a home pie business?
Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $500 to $3,000, depending on your equipment, packaging and ingredients. Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $500 to $3,500, depending on how many pies you bake and sell.
Can I sell pies from my home kitchen in Canada?
Check before you start. Many provinces limit or prohibit selling perishable foods like meat pies from a home kitchen. Also check home-based business licence or zoning rules with your municipality, plus food handler certification and allergen labelling rules.
What insurance and tax steps should I check?
Check commercial general liability and product liability insurance before selling. Also check whether you need to register for GST/HST once revenue passes the small supplier threshold, and ask an accountant if unsure.
Other ways to run this business
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- C$3k-15k
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Open a small shopfront selling fresh pies, slices and takeaway meals to locals.
- C$25k-100k
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