Discover the latest food trailer trends in 2023 and learn how to start your own successful mobile food business. Explore the evolving landscape of food trailers and stay ahead of the competition. Gain insights into the key steps, licensing requirements, and equipment needed to launch your food trailer venture.
The food trailer phenomenon from America has now gained a foothold here and triggered a culinary hype. Now you suddenly see small burger restaurants on everywhere, where you can get all kinds of burger food trailer!
We’ve come a long way from the days of being unsure of street food, with the popularity and diversity of food trucks exploding to become one of the most successful small business ideas over the past decade. Many aspiring business owners in the food and drink industry have turned to them as a lower cost, lower risk alternative to opening a traditional restaurant. And the trend doesn’t seem to be slowing.
Many food trailer owners dream that starting a small business can lead to opening their own brick-and-mortar location. A mobile setup is a smart way to try out different locations, test and tweak dishes, and build a loyal following before taking the plunge for real.
Mobile burger trailer catering often beats its brick-and-mortar equivalent hands down on price.
Licenses, permits and certificates for a food trailer
As with non-mobile restaurants, there are a number of licences and permits included in the food trailer startup costs that businesses need to secure before they can start selling. When it comes to the important questions to ask when starting a small business, finding the right permits will save you a lot of future nuisance:
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Food business registration.
You’ll need to register with every local authority whose area you want to trade in at least 28 days before you start selling there. -
Food premises approval.
If you’ll be handling meat, fish, eggs or dairy products, council officials will need to inspect your food truck for safety and hygiene. -
Street trading licence.
Council approval is needed to trade on the street, and this may add to your food truck cost depending on your chosen locations. There’s nothing to pay in Margate, for example, but in Haringey, London, fees start at £54 for a 6-month licence. Larger sums can often be paid in monthly instalments. -
Commercial gas safety certificate.
If you plan to cook hot food with gas appliances, this certificate is needed to show that all equipment is safe and fit for use. All your gas appliances should come with a CE marking and flame failure device. -
Food hygiene certificate.
Food safety regulations require anyone handling food or drink to prove that they can do so responsibly. The best way is to simply get a food hygiene certificate, though one is not required by law.
Always consult with a lawyer to make sure your licences are in line with legal requirements and that your food trailer is compliant with other applicable laws and regs.
Though it’s not easy to pin down the exact total cost of starting a food truck, this list of necessities is a resource to kick off your research. Few ventures are “cheap”, but there are always hacks to remove some of the cost barriers and help you on your road to owning one of the best businesses to start.
