Food FAQ

Sausage sizzles, and selling food like jams and cakes, are popular ways to raise money for good causes. Find out about the regulations you need to comply with if you're making and selling food for fundraising, want to sell food at occasional events like markets and fairs, or are serving food as part of a club or society.

If food is sold at your event, the individual food stall holder must apply to council for a Stall Holders Licence (PDF 179KB). This excludes stalls raising money for charity.

Charitable food stalls

If a food stall holder at your event is raising money for charity (including sausage sizzles and home baking), they’ll need to complete our Food Safety Questionnaire and send back to us. These stall holders don’t require a Stall Holders Licence but must adhere to our Food Safety Guidelines.

These stall holders will need to supply either an IRD number, copy of IRD certification or written confirmation from the organisation receiving the funds.

Pre-licensed vendors

If you’re using pre-licensed vendors at your event, you simply need to put the name, contact details and Stall Holders licence number for each vendor on the Event Notification Form. The details on the form will be checked by our Environmental Health Team to ensure all the correct licences are in place.

Non-licensed vendors

If you are to have food stalls at your event which aren’t already licensed with any council, the person running the stall needs to apply for a Stall Holder’s Licence. Include these stalls on the Event Notification Form, and notify the stall holders of the requirement to apply for a licence. Allow two weeks for the processing of the licence.

Event organisers responsibility

As an event organiser, it’s your responsibility to ensure all food stalls operating at your event have the correct licences. This includes ensuring charitable food stalls have completed the Food Safety Questionnaire and are following our Food Safety Guidelines.

During your event, an Environmental Health Officer must be allowed to access the site to ensure all food safety and health regulations are being followed

For more information refer to the Ministry of Primary Industries website.