Operational requirements for different models

The following will help to identify some of the operational requirements depending on which type of project you are running.

Community fridge

Premises & Equipment

• Fridge
• Any equipment to meet environmental health e.g. thermometer
• Premises – usually a room in a community building

Compliance & policy           

• Health & Safety including food safety
• Insurance
• Register as a food business
• DBS         

Suppliers      

• Local community donations
• Surplus
• Community gardens
• Local producers
• Gleaning

Staffing/ Volunteers           

• Community staff / to check food safety certification
• Volunteer Role description

• Volunteer Induction & Training

Procedures  

Download sample list of policies and procedures for possible procedures & policies.

• Cleaning schedules
• Stock rotation

Financial Management & Funding Model

• Initial capital investment
• Minimal on-going costs

 See Managing your finances section for all likely expenditure & income.

---

Food pantry/social supermarket

See our case studies of Stafford Hall Pantry, BrightStore Whitehawk, St Andrews Network and Cook for Good for varied examples.

Premises & equipment

• Room – minimum of 1 day a week
• Space for storage
• Fridges, freezers
• Shelving & tables
• Any other equipment for shop e.g. bags, gloves
• Card machine and cash box
• IT Equipment
• May need a vehicle

Compliance & policy           

• Health & Safety including food safety
• Insurance
• Registered as a food business
• DBS
• Employment Law
• Volunteer policy
• Data Protection

Suppliers      

• Surplus food
• Donations (food and money)
• Purchased food from wholesalers or retailers
• Community gardens
• Local producers
• Gleaning

Staffing/volunteers           

• Skills, knowledge & Experience
• Induction & Training
• Job Descriptions and Person specifications
• Detailed task description
• Volunteer role description
• Pay, conditions, benefits and employment practice

Procedures  

• Cleaning schedules
• Membership fee

Download sample list of policies and procedures for possible procedures & policies.

Financial management & funding model (see Managing your finances section).

• Budgets to include Start up budget, income & expenditure, income including grants, investments, earned income, commissioned income & donations.
• Alternatively, the service could be fully funded by a host organization

---

Food cooperative (small buying group)

See Cooperation Town for more information, resources and supporting setting up a food coop.

Premises & equipment       

• Venue for a few hours on a weekly basis for organizing food
• Space to store some food week to week is helpful
• Vehicle if food is being picked up e.g. surplus from local shops, or from wholesalers

Compliance & policy           

• Depending on scale may need health & Safety including food safety – see Cooperation Town for more information

Suppliers      

• Wholesale providers
• Surplus food
• Local food businesses
• Local growers/allotments
• Donations

Staffing / volunteers           

Usually no staff or volunteers, all members share duties.

Procedures  

Not usually necessary depending on scale, but may develop a terms of reference/agreement or similar between members.

Financial management & funding model

Usually very straightforward as not for profit, all money is used to purchase food for the coop. Usually no need for grants or funding as members pay in.

---

Wholesale purchasing/ co-op (larger scale)

Premises & equipment       

• IT Equipment
• Storage venue / room for project
• Fridge & Freezers
• Racking and shelving
• Vehicle
• Any other equipment for food sorting e.g. bags, gloves
• Card machine and cash box if selling to public

Compliance & policy           

• Health & Safety including food safety
• Insurance
• Register as a food business

Suppliers      

• Purchased from wholesalers or retailers

Staffing / volunteers           

• Skills, knowledge & Experience
• Induction & Training
• Job Descriptions and Person specifications
• Detailed task description
• Volunteer role description
• Pay, conditions, benefits and employment practice

Procedures  

• Stock rotation
• Cleaning schedules

Download sample list of policies and procedures for possible procedures & policies.

Financial management & funding model (see Managing your finances section).

• Budget to include Start up budget, income & expenditure, income including grants, earned, donations, commissioned income or loans.

---

Street trading

See our case study of Queen of Greens for an example.

Premises & Equipment       

• Market stall equipment (gazebo, table / mobile shop/kitchen)
• Vehicle for transportation
• Card machine and cash box

Compliance & policy           

• Health & Safety including food safety & risk assessment
• Insurance
• Register as a food business with local authority

Suppliers      

• Purchased from wholesalers or retailers (national or local)
• Local Food business
• Local growers

Staffing/ Volunteers           

• Pay, conditions, benefits and employment practice
• Induction & Training
• Job Descriptions and Person specifications
• Detailed task description

Procedures  

• Cash & card handling / security
• Set up a Card payment machine (needs to accept Mastercard to accept Heathy Start)
• Policy to distribute any surplus

Download sample list of policies and procedures for possible procedures & policies.

Financial management & funding model (see Managing your finances section).

• Budgets to include Start up budget, income & expenditure

---

Community meal/community café

Premises & Equipment       

• Venue available the same time every week
• Kitchen
• Kitchen Equipment
• Tables and chairs
• Crockery, cutlery, glasses, serving equipment etc
• Vehicle for transportation
• Card machine and cash box if taking payments

Compliance & policy           

• Health & Safety including food safety & risk assessment
• Insurance
• Register as a food business
• DBS
• Volunteer policy
• Safeguarding

Suppliers      

• Surplus, donations, food from local community food growing gardens & purchased food

Staffing/ Volunteers           

• Skills, knowledge and experience
• Induction & training
• Volunteer role descriptions
• Detailed task descriptions
• May require staff/volunteers that are multi-lingual

Procedures  

• Volunteer / staff rota
• Removal of own trader food & packaging waste

Download sample list of policies and procedures for possible procedures & policies.

Financial management & funding model (see Managing your finances section).

• Depends if charging for meals or running a ‘pay-as-you-feel’ model, or if meals are free

---

Pop Up Café

Premises & Equipment       

• Venue available the same time every week
• Kitchen
• Kitchen Equipment
• Tables and chairs
• Crockery, cutlery, glasses, serving equipment etc
• Vehicle for transportation
• Card machine and cash box

Compliance & policy           

• Health & Safety including food safety
• Insurance
• Register as a food business
• DBS
• Volunteer policy

Suppliers      

• Purchased from wholesalers or retailers (national or local)
• Local Food business
• Growing Projects

Staffing/ Volunteers           

• Pay, conditions, benefits and employment practice

Procedures  

• Cash & card handling / security
• Policy to distribute any surplus

Download sample list of policies and procedures for possible procedures & policies.

Financial management & funding model (see Managing your finances section).

• Budget to include Start up budget, income & expenditure, sales forecasting

---

Commercial Café

Premises & Equipment       

• Premises
• Kitchen
• Kitchen Equipment
• Tables and chairs
• Crockery, cutlery, glasses, serving equipment etc
• Vehicle for transportation
• Card machine and cash box

Compliance & policy           

• Health & Safety including food safety
• Insurance
• Register as a food business
• DBS
• Volunteer policy

Suppliers      

• Food Purchased from wholesalers or retailers (national or local)
• Local Food business/producers

Staffing/ Volunteers           

• Pay, conditions, benefits and employment practice
• Induction & training
• Job descriptions

Procedures  

• Production systems (dictates kitchen design)
• Waste management
• Cleaning schedules
• Pricing
• Cash & card handling / security
• Set up a Card payment machine

Download sample list of policies and procedures for possible procedures & policies.

Financial management & funding model (see Managing your finances section).

• Budget to include Start up budget, income & expenditure, sales forecasting

---

Mixed retail

• Premises & Equipment  
• Premises
• Relevant equipment
• IT Equipment
• Card machine/cash box

Compliance & policy           

• Health & Safety including food safety
• Insurance
• Register as a food business
• DBS
• Volunteer policy

Suppliers      

• Purchased from wholesalers or retailers (national or local)
• Local Food business
• Growing Projects
• Surplus/donations/other sources

Staffing/ Volunteers           

• Skills, knowledge & Experience
• Induction & Training
• Job Descriptions and Person specifications
• Detailed task description
• Volunteer role description
• Pay, conditions, benefits and employment practice

Procedures  

• Membership
• Broad pricing policy
• Cash & card handling / security
• Set up a Card payment machine

Download sample list of policies and procedures for possible procedures & policies.

Financial management & funding model (see Managing your finances section).

• Social enterprise model
• Potentially significant start-up costs
• Income – sales

---

Vegbag/ veg box scheme

See our case study of Oldham’s Community Vegbag for an example.

Premises & equipment       

• Premises for sorting food (this could be an outdoor area with some cover)
• Vehicle for transporting food, depending on size of project may be a small van
• Venue for collection unless the scheme is home delivery
• Packaging i.e. bags or boxes for vegetables
• Recipes or information packs if providing
• May require refrigeration for some products

Compliance & policy           

• Health & Safety including food safety
• Insurance
• Register as a food business
• DBS
• Volunteer policy

Suppliers      

• Wholesale supplier of fruit and vegetables
• Local growers/farmers/allotments
• May include some surplus produce

Staffing/ Volunteers           

This will vary depending on number of staff, but likely will need at least one paid staff member, as well as volunteers:

• Skills, knowledge & Experience
• Induction & Training
• Job Descriptions and Person specifications
• Detailed task description
• Volunteer role description
• Pay, conditions, benefits and employment practice

Procedures  

Download sample list of policies and procedures for possible procedures & policies.

Financial management & funding model (see Managing your finances section).

• Budget to include Start up budget, income & expenditure, sales forecasting

---

Meal delivery service

Premises & Equipment       

• Venue on regular basis
• Kitchen and kitchen equipment
• Packaging for meals
• Vehicle for delivery
• Label making facilities for ingredients/allergens etc
• Fridge, freezer and storage facilities

Compliance & policy           

• Health and safety including food safety
• Insurance
• Register as a food business
• DBS and safeguarding
• Volunteer policy

Suppliers      

• May be wholesalers, local businesses, surplus, donations and other sources

Staffing / volunteers           

This will vary depending on number of staff and volunteers. They will need food safety qualifications:

• Skills, knowledge & experience
• Induction & Training
• Job Descriptions and Person specifications
• Detailed task description
• Volunteer role description
• Pay, conditions, benefits and employment practice

Procedures  

Download sample list of policies and procedures for possible procedures & policies.

Financial management & funding model (see Managing your finances section).

• Budget to include Start up budget, income & expenditure, sales forecasting if selling meals, or income from grants/commissioning.