Top 8 profitable food business ideas for first-time entrepreneurs

People enjoy a good meal, so the demand for new and delicious food options is ever-present. If you love to cook and put a smile on someone’s face, you could tap into this market by starting a food business.

1. Food truck

If you don’t want to be locked into one location, opening a food truck business can be a great option. Being able to travel enables you to cater to many more customers than traditional restaurants. You also have the freedom to create your own menu – there’s really nothing stopping you from trialling different types of foods and seeing what your customers enjoy the most.

Recommended reading: Insurance for Food Trucks and Mobile Food Vans

2. Cooking classes

If you are particularly skilled, perhaps instead of selling food you may build a business around selling your food expertise – in the form of cooking classes. You could teach at your home or rent a store with a kitchen. It can be very rewarding to teach others, and there are many ways to approach it.

You may even host online cooking classes, which you can create and share online for a fee, which allows students to learn at their own pace. There is a large market for budding home chefs looking for cooking tips online, making this a great business idea!

3. Coffee shop

Coffee isn’t just an essential part of our morning routines. A cup of coffee can help us get through a long work meeting, provide a boost of energy, or warm us up on a chilly day. Coffee is consumed in many forms worldwide, and Australia is renowned for its high-quality coffee. That’s why starting your own cafe can be lucrative!

Recommended reading: Staring a Cafe Business in Australia: A Checklist

4. Personal chef

A career as a personal chef might suit you if you have a flair for creating delightful dishes tailored to an individual’s or family’s needs. Personal chefs are skilled cooking professionals who provide home-cooked meals to clients who may have special dietary requirements.

5. Sauces

Sauces can be a great product for first-time food business owners. Think about the popularity of Sriracha, or the communities that have been built around intense hot sauces. Sauces can be used in many different ways and are an integral part of almost every cuisine. They can be sweet, tangy, or spicy – and remember that sauces are not just for dinner! Sauces such as butterscotch and hot fudge are equally popular for desserts.

6. Meal kits

Meal kits are a subscription service that offers pre-portioned ingredients along with simple instructions to make chef-prepared meals at home. While they have become very popular over the years due the convenience and nutritional value that they offer, there are still many food niches that are yet to make their way into meal kits. You may even create a series of themed kits that you can sell a la carte!

7. Baked goods

Bakeries are one of the most traditional types of food businesses, with bakery owners typically enjoying a steady stream of customers year-round. There are many product options including those that cater to certain dietary requirements, or specialty items like muffins, cakes, and pretzels.

While most bakeries are located in brick-and-mortar locations, you can also sell baked goods online. Don’t be afraid to expand your food business this way, as it provides access to a larger customer base who prefer the convenience of online ordering.

8. Baby food

Parents are generally very selective when it comes to what they feed their children. Parents want healthy baby food that has positive effects on their physical and emotional wellbeing. This growing trend may be worth exploring, perhaps by making your own baby purée products from homegrown vegetables and fruits.

Have you got insurance for your food business?

Many unexpected things can happen when you run your own food business, from accidental food poisoning to losing power and having to dispose of food products that can no longer be used. Reduce your risk with food business insurance!

With BizCover you can compare competitive insurance quotes from Australia’s leading insurers online, and get covered in just 10 minutes.