Practical articles for small UK food businesses — from allergen labelling compliance to recipe costing and running a more profitable kitchen.
Scale recipes, track costs, manage allergens and print Natasha's Law labels — what bakery recipe software actually needs to do.
Updated 2026 guide — who it applies to, what must be on every PPDS label, enforcement and the most efficient way to comply.
Legals, allergens, pricing, day-to-day ops, marketing, real earnings and a 90-day action plan — the honest end-to-end guide.
A worked costing for an 8" Christmas cake — ingredients, brandy, labour and packaging — with margin targets, deposits, cut-off dates and PPDS labels.
Kitchen SoftwareA month-by-month timeline working back from Christmas week — order caps, batch production planning, aggregated shopping lists and labels.
Food LabellingWhen UK food businesses need a nutrition declaration, how software calculates it from ingredient data instead of lab testing, and what it costs.
Food BusinessStanding orders, batch production, costing and B2B labelling for wholesale bakeries — plus an honest look at what FoodCore does and doesn't do.
Recipe ManagementAn honest comparison — when a spreadsheet is genuinely fine, where it breaks as you grow, and the free no-signup calculator in between.
Food BusinessUsually two tools, not one: Xero or QuickBooks for the books, and recipe costing software for your bakes. An honest guide to the right stack.
Food BusinessPer-event menus, headcount changes, allergen matrices per table and costing an event before you quote — what wedding caterers actually need.
Home BakingThere's no specific cake shed licence — but you must register your food business at least 28 days before trading. The full legal checklist.
Recipe ManagementWhy scaling a recipe by hand goes wrong — pack sizes, waste and yield, non-linear costs — and how software scales quantities, costs, shopping lists and labels together.
Food BusinessAn honest answer: FoodCore isn't an ERP with EDI feeds — here's the supplier ordering, price tracking and approval it does give a small food business, and when you need more.
Food BusinessWhat food business management software covers, how to choose it, and whether to build, buy or use spreadsheets — a complete guide for small UK food businesses.
Kitchen SoftwareA plain-English guide to the kitchen management system: the core modules, cloud vs on-prem, how to choose, and how systems compare with spreadsheets.
Food SafetyHACCP plans and records, daily due-diligence, monitoring records and PRPs, and food-safety alerts covering cleaning, fire safety, training and equipment.
Kitchen SoftwareWhat software a bakery actually needs — recipe costing, allergen labels, stock, orders and production planning — and how to choose the right all-in-one tool.
Food BusinessKeeping recipes, menus and food-safety set-up consistent across multiple sites — shared vs per-site controls, bulk site visibility and single-site access.
Kitchen SoftwareProtect costings and pricing, prevent accidental edits and onboard staff safely with per-user None / View / Edit access and a genuine read-only mode.
Food SafetyWhy ingredient and allergen data drifts out of date, how to run a review cycle, and how review reminders and shelf-life tracking keep your data accurate.
Food SafetyA cleaning schedule template for UK food businesses — daily, weekly and monthly tasks, sign-off and records — and how to prove due diligence to an EHO.
US / FDA ComplianceWho needs a Nutrition Facts panel, the required nutrients and % Daily Values, serving sizes, added sugars and small-business exemptions — explained for US food producers.
US / FDA ComplianceThe nine US major allergens, the "Contains" statement, plain-language names and advisory statements — what FALCPA and the FASTER Act require on a US label.
US / FDA ComplianceThe five mandatory label elements, allergen declarations and label placement — a step-by-step guide to building a compliant US food label.
US / FDA ComplianceSesame became the 9th major US allergen on 1 January 2023. Here's how to declare it, why some firms added it deliberately, and how to control cross-contact.
US / FDA ComplianceUS FDA/FALCPA versus UK FIR 2014 and Natasha's Law — allergens, nutrition panels and units compared, plus how to manage both markets from one tool.
Allergen ComplianceEvery one of the 14 UK allergens, where they hide, and how to declare them for PPDS, loose and distance-selling food under FIR 2014.
Food LabellingThe mandatory particulars every UK food label must carry, how FIR 2014 relates to Natasha's Law, and what small businesses need to get right.
Allergen ComplianceWhat counts as PPDS, what the law requires, the common mistakes five years on, and what an EHO checks — a practical refresher for UK food businesses.
Food LabellingWhen a back-of-pack nutrition declaration is mandatory versus exempt, the mandatory big-7 nutrients, and the per-100g rules under UK law.
Food SafetyCouncil registration, food hygiene rating, HACCP, allergen management, Natasha's Law labelling, traceability and due-diligence records — one actionable checklist.
FoodCore GuideHow to set up your ingredient database, cost your first recipes, generate Natasha's Law labels and get full value from your free trial before day 7.
Home BakingCouncil registration, food hygiene certificates, insurance, allergen obligations and how to price correctly — everything you need to launch a legal, profitable home cake business.
Food LawThere's no "cake licence" — but you must register with your local council, comply with food hygiene law and declare allergens. Here's exactly what's required.
Cake PricingMost UK home bakers undercharge significantly. Here's the exact formula — ingredients, labour, overheads and margin — with worked examples for birthday cakes and cupcakes.
Recipe CostingA step-by-step guide to working out the real cost of any cake — cost per gram, labour, overheads and profit margin — with fully worked examples for UK bakers.
Cake PricingHow to price cupcakes, brownies and celebration cakes so your bakery actually makes money — including how to factor in labour and overheads most bakers forget.
Bakery FinanceThe gross margin formula for bakeries, the difference between margin and markup, industry benchmarks, and what to do when a product's margin is too low.
Bakery FinanceEight reasons your cake business is busy but not profitable — with a step-by-step cost analysis method to find the leaks and fix them.
Kitchen SoftwareA plain-English guide to what bakery software does, which features matter for small bakeries, and what's overkill — with a feature comparison table.
Kitchen ManagementPaper sheets, Google Sheets, lightweight apps — practical inventory methods for small food businesses at every budget, with honest trade-offs for each.
Kitchen SoftwareWhat kitchen management software actually does, which of the five core functions you need first, and how to choose without overspending.
Kitchen SoftwareThe key features to look for in recipe management software for small UK restaurants — including allergen compliance, sub-recipe support and cost per portion.
Home BakingThe minimum viable bakery approach — what you actually need before day one, what can wait, and how to phase your setup so you're taking orders within two weeks.
Allergen SoftwareA side-by-side comparison of allergen management software for UK food businesses — what the software must do, which tools are worth considering, and how to choose.
Allergen ManagementWhat an allergen management system needs to include for UK food businesses — from documentation and staff training to software and labelling. Practical 2026 guide.
Allergen TrackingHow allergen tracking software works for food production businesses in the UK — what it must do, how to evaluate your options, and the best tools for small producers.
Software ComparisonSide-by-side comparison of recipe costing software for UK food businesses — features, pricing, allergen management, Natasha's Law compliance and ease of use.
Kitchen SoftwareHow small UK food businesses should choose kitchen management software — what features actually matter, what you can skip, and an honest comparison for 1–5 person kitchens.
Pricing & ProfitHow to price food products correctly in the UK — calculating true food costs, setting margins, market pricing strategies, and tools that make it easier for small producers.
Food SafetyWhat records does a small UK food business actually need for HACCP compliance? Daily temperature logs, cleaning records, supplier checks and more — practical 2026 guide.
Kitchen ManagementWhen spreadsheets stop working for your food business — and how to make the switch to kitchen management software without losing your data or disrupting your operation.
Allergen ManagementHow to manage allergens safely in a small kitchen — from cross-contamination controls and staff training to accurate labelling and documentation. UK food law guide 2026.
Natasha's LawWhat Natasha's Law actually requires from UK food businesses — the exact label contents, who must comply, common misconceptions, and the penalties for getting it wrong.
Catering SoftwareThe 5 best catering management software options for small UK caterers — compared by price, features, Natasha's Law compliance and ease of use. An honest guide.
Allergen ComplianceWhen PPDS rules apply to caterers, what allergen information is required for events, and how to manage compliance for pre-packed catering food. UK guide for 2026.
Bakery SoftwareHow do bakeries calculate recipe costs? Is Excel enough? How do you create Natasha's Law labels from recipes? 10 common bakery software questions answered.
Natasha's LawWhat is Natasha's Law in simple terms? Does it apply to cakes and cupcakes? Are cake counter slices PPDS? Every key question answered for UK cake sellers.
Cake ShedDo cake sheds need to be registered? Can you run one from your garden? Food hygiene certificates, insurance, Natasha's Law labels and honesty boxes — all covered.
Allergen ManagementThe legal definition of gluten-free, dedicated equipment requirements, cross-contamination risks, coeliac safety, and how to label correctly — all explained.
Natasha's LawThe nuanced answer: it depends whether the activity counts as a food business. PTA bake sales, school tuck shops and fêtes — when the rules apply and when they don't.
Starting OutRegistration, food hygiene, Natasha's Law labelling, recipe costing, insurance and the software that keeps it all running — everything you need in one guide.
Recipe CostingCelebration cakes, traybakes, hot drinks — which bakery products carry the best margins? Real food cost data, worked examples and how to calculate your own.
Recipe ManagementFrom paper cards to Excel to dedicated software — how professional chefs and food business owners manage, standardise and scale their recipes.
Natasha's LawYes — PPDS rules apply to anyone selling pre-packed food directly to consumers, including home bakers and cake sheds. Here's exactly what you need to do.
Kitchen ManagementFrom recipe management to POS to accounting — the complete software stack that professional chefs and food business owners use to run their kitchens.
Food SafetyThe shelf life guideline for cakes with fresh cream or perishable fillings — which products it applies to, how long they last, and how to label them correctly.
Recipe CostingFood 30%, labour 30%, overhead 30%, profit 10% — the most widely quoted benchmark in food service. What it means, whether it applies to small businesses, and how to use it.
Kitchen ManagementThe 3-zone, 4-function workflow model for organising a commercial kitchen efficiently — what it means, why it matters for food safety, and how it applies to small kitchens.
Food SafetyWhat daily due diligence records UK law requires, what EHOs look for, temperature thresholds, opening/closing/delivery checks, corrective actions and common mistakes.
Food SafetyThe 7 HACCP principles explained, step-by-step plan writing, critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions, record-keeping and common mistakes for small UK food businesses.
Home BakingLegals, allergens, pricing, day-to-day ops, marketing, real earnings and a 90-day action plan for launching a UK cake shed in 2026.
Food BusinessVehicle, legals, gas safety, pitches, pricing, real earnings and a 90-day plan for launching a UK food van or street food trailer in 2026.
Home BakingRegistration, allergens, pricing celebration cakes, marketing on Instagram, real earnings and a 90-day plan for a UK home bakery in 2026.
Food BusinessPitches, licences, gazebos, labelling, pricing, real earnings and a 90-day plan for launching a UK food market stall in 2026.
Bakery ManagementThink bakery management software is out of your budget? Here's what affordable actually means for small teams — and how to find the right tool without overpaying.
Inventory ManagementBakery inventory feels manageable until it isn't. A practical guide to tracking stock simply and automatically — without the spreadsheet headache.
Bakery ManagementEvery growing bakery hits a point where spreadsheets stop working. Here's an honest, practical guide to finding the right bakery management software for your operation.
Kitchen ManagementMostly spreadsheets and notebooks. Here's what small restaurant operators actually need from kitchen management software — and what's worth switching for.
Recipe CostingMost small food businesses are undercharging because they're guessing their costs. Here's what recipe costing software actually does and what to look for.
Allergen ManagementAllergen tracking can't be left to memory or sticky notes. Here's what UK law requires and how the right software makes compliance automatic and reliable.
Recipe CostingWho the free calculator is built for, how to get accurate results, and what changes when you move to the full FoodCore platform.
Bakery ManagementComparing bakery management software options for small UK bakeries — spreadsheets, enterprise tools, and purpose-built systems. What actually works.
Bakery OperationsHow small UK bakeries can track ingredients, stock levels, and batch production without notebooks or spreadsheets. Practical guide with real examples.
Recipe ManagementAn honest answer to whether small food businesses actually need recipe management software — what it does, when it's worth it, and what to look for.
Catering & RestaurantsWhat small restaurants and catering businesses actually need from recipe software — scaling, per-event allergen management, and accurate job costing.
Kitchen ManagementWhere the 30–40 hours of monthly admin time actually comes from in small food businesses — and which tasks kitchen management software genuinely automates.
Inventory ManagementWhy spreadsheets fail for food inventory — the stale snapshot problem and batch multiplication errors — and how connected inventory tracking works instead.
Recipe ManagementWhat small bakeries actually need from recipe management software — and what to ignore.
Allergen ComplianceWhat Natasha's Law requires, who it applies to, and the practical steps to get compliant without spending hours on manual label updates.
Team & OperationsRole-based access, audit logs, and why named accounts matter for food safety compliance.
ProfitabilityGross margin, food cost percentage, waste tracking, carbon footprint — and how to start measuring them.
Meal PlanningHow to meet nutritional standards, manage budgets, and handle allergens across a rotating menu.
Kitchen ManagementHow to plan what you're making, when, and in what quantities — before Monday morning.
Kitchen ManagementReorder thresholds, low-stock alerts, and why connecting production to stock changes everything.
New FeatureScan any product barcode with your phone to import nutrition, allergens and ingredients automatically into FoodCore. No typing, no manual data entry.
Kitchen ManagementAn independent comparison of the leading kitchen management tools for small UK food businesses — features, pricing and who each one suits.
Allergen ComplianceStep-by-step: what must appear on your bakery labels, how to bold allergens correctly, and the fastest way to generate compliant labels at scale.
Kitchen ManagementCake businesses have specific needs — recipe scaling, allergen labels, order tracking. Here's what software actually helps and what's just noise.
Allergen ComplianceWhat allergen label software actually does, what to look for, and how to generate PPDS-compliant labels without rebuilding them every time a recipe changes.
Software ComparisonA side-by-side comparison of FoodCore and Jelly — features, pricing, allergen compliance and which type of food business each suits best.
Software ComparisonKafoodle is built for large hospitality groups. FoodCore is built for small producers. Here's how they compare on price, features and ease of use.
Software ComparisonBoth handle recipe management — but one is built for nutritional analysis, the other for small UK food business operations. Here's how they compare.
Software ComparisonNory is an enterprise restaurant operations platform. FoodCore is built for small food producers. An honest comparison of features, pricing and fit.
Food BusinessRegistration, hygiene ratings, insurance, labelling — everything you need to know before you start selling food from your home kitchen.
Food BusinessFrom registering with your local authority to pricing your meals and managing allergen labels — a practical guide to launching a meal prep business.
Home BakingWhat you legally need before you sell your first bake — registration, labelling, hygiene certificates and what counts as a home food business.
Software ComparisonA practical roundup of the tools small food businesses actually use — recipe management, labelling, orders, accounting and more.
ProfitabilityWhat food cost percentage means, how to calculate it for your business, and the benchmarks that tell you whether your margins are healthy.
Food LabellingPre-packed for direct sale explained — what counts as PPDS, which labelling rules apply, and common examples from bakeries and food stalls.
ProfitabilityWhat good margins look like for small food businesses, why most operators undercharge, and the levers you can pull to improve profitability.
Recipe ManagementIf you're still managing recipes in Excel, you're likely losing money on every order. Here's what purpose-built recipe management software does differently.
Allergen ComplianceHow to track, document and communicate allergens across your recipes and labels — and avoid the most common compliance mistakes.
Food LabellingFrom the 14 major allergens to PPDS rules and best-before dates — a plain-English guide to what must appear on your food labels.
Kitchen ManagementA practical breakdown of what kitchen management software does, what features matter for small operations, and how to choose the right tool.
Recipe ManagementStop guessing your margins. Learn how to calculate the true cost of every dish — ingredients, waste, labour — so you can price profitably.
FoodCore handles recipe costing, Natasha's Law labels, shopping lists and order tracking — all in one place.
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