Specialist food wholesaler with a local delivery round

Independent cafés, restaurants, delis, farm shops, takeaways and caterers who want a reliable local supplier.

You sell at a mark-up on what you buy, usually on weekly or fortnightly orders. Margins per item are modest, so profit depends on regular repeat customers and efficient delivery routes.

• Selling and building trade relationships
• Stock control and ordering
• Basic bookkeeping and credit control
• Reliable driving and route planning

• Register your food business with your local council, and check whether handling meat, fish or dairy needs extra approval
• Food hygiene and traceability rules, including a HACCP-based food safety plan and good records
• Selling alcohol needs a licence, so check before you stock it
• Cash flow, because customers on trade accounts may pay 14 to 30 days after delivery while you pay suppliers sooner
• Public liability and product liability insurance, plus goods in transit cover for your van
• Chilled and frozen stock needs reliable temperature control and waste can eat into margins
• Check VAT rules, as most food is zero-rated but some products are not

Startup costs are typically around £12,000 to £50,000, depending on your unit, stock, storage, chilled equipment and van. These are estimates, so build a budget around your chosen niche and the range of products you plan to stock.

Monthly revenue is typically around £8,000 to £40,000, depending on your customer base, product range and delivery area. These are estimates of sales, not profit, and you could expect to work around 30 hours a week.

Check that you register your food business with your local council, and whether meat, fish or dairy needs extra approval. Also check food hygiene and traceability rules, alcohol licensing, VAT treatment, and insurance for liability and goods in transit.