Run a staff canteen for a local employer

Customers pay at the till, and some clients (employers, colleges, care homes) also pay a fee or subsidy to the caterer.

Meal and drink sales, plus any fee or subsidy agreed in the contract. Steady, predictable footfall helps you plan stock and staffing.

• Cooking in batches
• Costing and ordering
• Organising a small team
• Pitching to and working with a client

• Register as a food business with your local council, and check whether the client's kitchen is already registered in someone else's name
• Food hygiene training, a written food safety system and allergen information
• Public liability insurance, employer's liability once you hire, and cover for stock and equipment
• Read the contract carefully: notice periods, who owns equipment, and what happens in holidays and closures
• Depending too heavily on one client is risky if they end the contract
• School and care settings may have food standards or extra checks, so ask the client what applies

Startup costs are typically around £3,000 to £15,000, depending on what equipment the client already provides and how much stock, insurance and staffing you need to set up. Treat this as an estimate and get quotes before you pitch.

Monthly revenue is typically around £5,000 to £20,000, depending on the size of the site, the number of diners and any fee or subsidy from the client. That is revenue, not profit. Hours start from around 30 a week.

Check how to register as a food business with your council, and whether the client's kitchen is already registered in someone else's name. Read the contract carefully for notice periods, equipment ownership and holiday closures, and ask what school or care standards apply.