Local fruit and veg box delivery

Busy households, older people who find shopping hard, and small offices wanting fruit deliveries.

Fixed-price boxes or subscriptions, plus extras such as eggs or bread. Repeat weekly customers make buying and delivery routes more predictable.

• Organising orders and routes
• Sourcing good produce
• Basic online selling and social media
• Reliable customer communication

• Register as a food business with your local council before you start trading, and check whether your home garage or outbuilding is suitable for storing produce
• Check food hygiene requirements and consider a Level 2 food hygiene certificate
• Business insurance for your vehicle and stock, plus public liability insurance
• Running from home may need permission from your landlord, mortgage lender or council, so check first
• Cold storage and tight margins if you waste unsold produce

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around £1,500 to £8,000, depending on your vehicle, packing space, stock and how you take orders. Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around £1,500 to £7,500, depending on how many customers you build up.

Check that you register as a food business with your local council before trading, and whether your garage or outbuilding is suitable for storing produce. Also check food hygiene requirements, a Level 2 certificate, insurance, and permission from your landlord or mortgage lender.

You need to organise orders and routes, source good produce, sell online and communicate reliably with customers. Estimates suggest at least around 15 hours a week, which can suit starting from home before growing.