[xemonsus]

We are considering doing some with our pork and sausages, we are unclear as to exactly what we should be including on any labels on the packets and is anyone clear on any rules regarding cooking some on site for people to sample.
Any pointers will be gratfully recieved as ive read loads online and still fine it all confusing!! lol
 
Thanks in advance 

[HappyHippy]

If you want to sell to the public at Farmers Markets or events you'll need to have your premises approved by environmental health, which usually means double sinks, washable walls, easily cleaned worksurfaces etc. Normal household kitchens just don't make the grade normally  They might ask you to send off samples from each batch for testing and you'll have a whole load of Food Standard Agency labelling requirements etc. to adhere to. Most small scall producers get the butcher or cutting plant to do all this for them then sell the meat on (again, you need to be registered to do this, but the requirements aren't so rigerous, mainly concerned with safe transportation and storage, stock rotation etc)
For cooking samples to give away, these also need to have come from an 'approved' premises, need to have temperatures recorded, different utensils for cooked & raw meat, washing facilities etc etc etc 

If you're only selling to friends and family, the rules are different.

If you get in touch with your environmental health officer at your local council (usually details are on the council website) they'll be able to give you guidance and answer your questions - always better to have them on your side  They're usually quite helpful and just want to make sure no-one's getting ill or taking lawsuits out against you 
HTH
Karen 

[xemonsus]

Thanks Happy hippy,
Our sausages are made by our butcher just wanted to know how they should be labelled up for sale so shall give our environmental health peeps a call then, hopfully not too much of a job to get things right to sell them 

[HappyHippy]

It sounds like loads, but it's all fairly straightforward really (especially if the butcher is doing it  saves headaches ) But environmental health and trading standards will keep you right 

I'm doing my first market in around a fortnight - so will report back 

Oh, check with the market if they have a fridge unit for you to display your sausages in or ask your EH officer if they'll be happy with the meat displayed on ice packs or similar (they're very picky about keeping the temp.s within 'safe' ranges to avoid food poisoning - rightly so IMHO)

Good luck with your venture - hope it goes well 

[robert waddell]

princess piggy posted on another thread that butcher made or prepared meat cant be sold by another person 

[onnyview]

Guess it must depend on where you are as my meat is all slaughtered, butchered and sausaged at the abattoir and environmental health are more than happy with that. All I need to do is keep notes on fridge temps and cleaning schedules at home and that has required no inspection from EH. That is with it being PACKED at the butchery. If it comes home in bags and you have to repack it, the above does not apply and you will need what HH has said.

Trading standards where I am want: a £/kg, weight, a best before/freeze date and a discription of the product, any allergens, ingredients- in order of quantity (for sausages etc) and a way for the customer to contact you. We use our post code.

You really are best speaking to your own local TS and EHO, especially reg cooking hot food and selling fresh on the same stall, can be a bit of a mine field as you again need seperate washing facilities etc. 

Good luck, it's very enjoyable speaking to people! Especially when you build up regular customers that come back time and again, just to buy your products. Downsides for me are: how up and down the markets can be. The waiting times to get into some markets as they do not want repitition (which is not a bad thing- but still frustrating) and how little you have left over when you take out your rearing costs, transport, slaughter, butchering, packaging, your time, rent, insurance and..you get the picture, times are hard for all of us, especially pigs.

[robert waddell]

when the falkirk farmers market was started at first   it was portraid as all being local produced
so we went and had a nose not one local producer to falkirk  and never been back to any since
the stall holders just go from one farmers market to another   and they don't like competition    they are established you have to make your mark on the public    some of them are located in monied areas others are not  so the only way you will get your foot in door is on price
 
have you done a recce of the markets you are intending selling at    who will you be competing with      have you got a better product    is it a rich area or are they penny pincher's     and do your sums even adding on a bit extra    the weather has a big factor to play as well standing there in the winter like a frozen snotter is not conducive with a good sales pitch   even worse frozen and water running out your trouser leg
 
have you got continuity of supply for your product (i did hear of one free range traditional pork producer  that was supplied from commercial pig herds)   the other mistake is not having enough to supply the demand
both of you will need a lot of luck 

[Fowgill Farm]

we stopped going to one of our local farmers markets after spotting cash & carry bags out the back of the stalls also not one of them was truly local, the regular weekly market has more local producers than the monthly FM so we stick to that!
mandy

[xemonsus]

Thanks very much for the replies 
Fear not Robert my husband is a showman and has spent his life on the shows and markets so we have a good idea what we are facing, we arent using them as a selling point more of an advert to get our produce and name out to more people.
We arent planning on doing farmers markets as a rule but more the local fetes and shows, gets our name out to the people we want to be coming back to us. We have established a great core business with some brillent return customers, from local online selling, but i do get what you say about picking the people and areas we go to. Saying that over the years we have been pleasently suprised by the spending power and loyalty of the 'less well off' out there and how coy the 'rich' can be.
My main concern was the regulations as to the labeling when selling on these day events and as ive been told above my best call is to Environmental Health.
I already sell other produce from our holding and am just looking to increase the amount our pigs play in it all, i will report back if people are interested as to how we get on    If nought else they are a great day out   

[oaklandspigs]

Onnyviews has the labelling right, comes under the Food Labelling Regulations 1996
 
viz  http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/1499/regulation/5/made
 
One other issue that is technical (applies to England, and probably Wales, don't know about Scotland!)- you may re-sell meat that has been cut in a "wholesale" butchers, but not that from a retail butchers.  A wholesale butchers will have a meat hygiene inspector, a retail butchers doesn't.  So Onnyview's abattoir will be fine.  Depends on your local TS as to whether they enforce, most don't from what I hear, but one worth knowing.
 
 
 

[robert waddell]

Hi HH,
Where is the farmer's market you are attending in 2 weeks time.
 
Lill