Running a business from my boat

[zenataomm]

7 minutes ago, jradley said:

On a similar idea is the Reading Tea Barge. The major difference being they have a permanent mooring. https://whittingtons-teabarge.co.uk/

And as such is hard coupled up to water, waste and power.

An essential when it comes to satisfying the environmental health bods that the essentials of cleaning and food preservation within the stated temperature ranges stipulated for refrigeration and freezing can be ensured.

I know of at least one 60 footer that was kitted out as a small cheese café with the view of touring the cut and trading "here and there" How idyllic!

Then they discovered they couldn't allow punters on board without a shed load of documentation and licence alterations, so they scrubbed that and started selling through a hatch onto the towpath.

Then they discovered they couldn't just slice of a piece of cheese, pop it into a bag and hand it over, as this was food preparation and required a commercial kitchen installation. So instead they could only sell prepacked cheese, which has to be prepared externally and costs them more.

Then they discovered that their pre-packed cheese had to be stored in catering fridges with a higher accuracy of temperature which involved big generators.

Then they discovered life was a lot more complicated than they thought and that just going off and doing it on the back of what friends, forums and bloke down the pub said wasn't a goer.

 

They are still doing it, but not necessarily strictly within the regulations, and consequently have a permanent eye over their shoulder.

Not my idea of living the dream.