Home bakery insurance

ZuM16

Hi, hopefully this is posted in the right place. I'm a baking student and currently doing a business plan for an at home bakery.

I am living in Canada near Toronto, but my husband is from Waterford and we are planning on moving back/ to Ireland around July 2023.

Does anyone have experience or and would be willing to share how much insurance cost increased when you started a home business? Such as for liability if customers pick up from your home? Did any extra fire inspections have to be done? If you deliver in your vehicle how much did the insurance increase? Also if you use your car for advertisement how much did the insurance increase (thinking of just having a magnet on the side of car door)?

I am aware of the HSE ans I have advanced food safety course including HACCP. (I will look at if I need to take a safety course so they are recognized in Ireland) I'm just looking for advice on insurance at this time.

Thank you. (Mods feel free to move if this is the incorrect forum)

phormium

Pike Insurance Brokers for the Baking Insurance, it's around 180/200 a year, there is also MAST which is market trader insurance but both can and do cover same sort of business, think they are a little more expensive, Pike I would say have the bulk of the home baker market and they source the companies to cover it. They deal with house insurers who have no problem with baking from home either as some do! The liability for customers calling is covered by the Baking Insurance but the house insurer needs to know that a business is being run from the premises, they don't provide any extra cover as such. Extra cost on car insurance was €100 (does not actually cover the goods, again just need to know) but this will vary depending on type of car/your own driving situation etc. That was a private small car with no advertising on it.

This is assuming you mean home baking from a domestic kitchen and not from a designated self contained bakery like converted garage on site, different ball game if not from domestic kitchen as classed commercial and different EHO rules plus probably insurance too. Never heard of a fire inspection for domestic setting but might be different if in a standalone unit.

Although anything could change between now and mid 2023!

PS Visited Toronto several times, loved it, especially Dufflet Bakery :)

ZuM16

Thank you so much, this was a huge help. Yes I am hoping to do something from our home kitchen :). Glad you enjoyed Toronto! I sometimes think I'm looking forward to moving to Ireland more than my husband, cant wait to experience the sea air everyday!!

phormium

There are a couple of Irish FB baking pages you should join, this topic comes up regularly and there is just general chat etc also about baking, many of the contributors are in business as well as many hobbyists. They post pictures of their work or ask questions, that sort of thing. There are also pages for selling cake equipment as in my opinion there is an increase in people getting out of the business so a lot of stuff can be purchased second hand. There is a lot of home cake makers in Ireland! Even more since Covid.

For some reason I can't post links to them but they should be easily found

'Ireland cake makers and decorators'

'Irish Cake Decorating and Sugarcraft Chat'

The above two are where you will find most people who sell, the following is for home bakers mainly and no sugarcraft allowed!

'Irish Homebakers'

Then this one for equipment

'Cake Related Items Sell & Swap Group'