Start a pop-up teahouse in halls and venues

Local residents, community groups, visitors to markets and gardens, and people booking a special afternoon tea with friends or family.

Pots of tea and cake sold per person on event days, bookable afternoon tea sets, and fees for private bookings like birthdays and showers.

• Baking or sourcing good cakes
• Knowledge of teas
• Setting up and packing down a space efficiently
• Friendly service and basic social media

• Register your food business with your local council before trading (check how far ahead)
• Allergen information and food hygiene rules apply, including for homemade cakes
• Public liability insurance, and check whether the venue requires its own cover or a certificate
• Check any rules for using a home kitchen, such as lease or mortgage conditions
• Street or market trading may need council permission, so check before setting up outdoors
• Hot water urns and equipment need safe handling and portable appliance testing may be required by venues

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around £800 to £4,000, depending on how much china, equipment and stock you buy and the venues you use. Starting part-time in hired spaces lets you test demand before committing to a full tearoom.

Check that you register your food business with your local council before trading, and how far ahead to do it. Also check allergen and food hygiene rules, public liability insurance, venue cover requirements, and any rules on using a home kitchen.

Estimates suggest monthly revenue of typically around £300 to £2,500, depending on how often you trade, which venues you use and your menu prices. Part-time running starts at around 8 hours a week.