Buying from small businesses

[PumpkinZulu]

I trust the old biddies selling their lemon curd outside the supermarket far more than I trust the pimply teenagers at McDonalds.
A small business owner has a personal investment in their food. The same can not be said for the employees of big business and with so many people in the supply chain of large businesses it is easy for foreign objects and sloppy handling to make their way without anybody noticing or caring.

No, the school cake stall doesn't have food from approved kitchens. It comes from the kitchens of Mums just like you and I love them. A home made cake that I didn't have to bake - lead me to it. I miss the Ginger sponges from my last school

I think it's kind of disturbing that people actually trust big business with their food/nutrition. I don't.

Amen!

[STARRYSKY]

In SA, (where I am) it depends on your council etc..

I had to get certified with the local council, (inspect kitchen and work practices) I used to work out of a commercial kitchen so I didnt have to worry about it.
They come out and give you a list of stuff that you need to be up to standard on, then you pay a fee, they come back and inspect and make sure you tick all the boxes. They can also come and randomly inspect at any time.
The council also provides free of charge a food safety handling course (basic food prep stuff)
I'm not allowed to sell products with fresh cream, raw eggs or confectionary (different rules/standards etc)

I have an ABN, but not registered for GST as I don't make enough to justify it.
I don't have anything on my FB page or website to qualify any of this, but I know I'm covered!

I don't do markets as I can't justify the cost of the insurance for a food stall (most markets wont cover food stalls with their "umbrella" insurance") I also dont have any idea of how much I would make/lose in a market situation, I do ok without doing them.

[nickle730]

I judge the book by its cover! If I am purchasing from food vendors, I look at the cleanliness of the stall and of the people who staff it. I check out whether the food is cooked fresh or whether hot food sits around waiting for a buyer (I loathe food from a bain marie!). Cakes and bikkies need to be covered appropriately and the food itself should look fresh. I realise that I haven't seen the actual kitchen that some of this food has been prepared in, but I reckon the presentation at the point of sale is a decent indicator. I'm not terribly fussy about what I eat - I lived in Asia for years as a kid, where food handling procedures often leave a lot to be desired! I survived that, I figure I'll survive the local market.