Do I need a licence to sell coffee at a market?

You need food business registration. Many councils require street trading consent or a licence; on organised markets the operator often holds this. Check with the organiser and the council.

What insurance do market traders need?

Public liability is usually required by organisers, and product liability is advisable. Check the organiser's minimum cover.

Selling coffee at markets and events

Markets put your coffee in front of people who will taste it, buy a bag and subscribe. They also need permissions, a hygiene set-up and a realistic view of the takings.

6 min read Updated 9 October 2026

A market stall or event is marketing that pays for itself on a good day. Customers taste, ask questions and leave with a bag; the best ones become online or subscription customers. The value is as much in the contacts as in the takings.

Permissions and paperwork

Before your first market

Food business registration for your roastery (and the stall if it is run from a separate base)
Street trading consent or licence where the council requires it; many markets hold this for traders
Public liability insurance, often at a minimum level set by the organiser
Product liability insurance for the coffee you sell
Food hygiene training for anyone serving
Gas safety certificate if you use LPG for brewing; electrical safety for generators

Selling drinks as well as bags

Serving hot drinks turns a stall into a catering operation: handwashing facilities, safe water, waste and allergen information for milks and syrups. It also changes VAT if you are registered: hot drinks are standard-rated while coffee beans are zero-rated. See VAT on coffee.

What to bring

Bags of your best-selling coffees in one or two sizes, priced in round numbers
A tasting set-up: batch brew or pour-over, cups, a bin
A card reader with a reliable connection, and a float
Signs with prices and the coffee's origin and notes
A way to capture contacts: a sign-up QR code for your shop or newsletter, with consent

Is it worth it?

Count the full cost: pitch fee, travel, staff time, the coffee given away, and a day away from roasting. Then count bags sold and new online customers over the next month. Some markets earn their place through direct sales; others through new subscribers and wholesale leads.

Where Roastnet helps

Questions roasters ask

Do I need a licence to sell coffee at a market?: You need food business registration. Many councils require street trading consent or a licence; on organised markets the operator often holds this. Check with the organiser and the council.
What insurance do market traders need?: Public liability is usually required by organisers, and product liability is advisable. Check the organiser's minimum cover.

Official sources

Rules change. These sources were checked on 9 October 2026; always confirm the current position with the body that publishes them before you act.