Going self-employed

Going self-employed with your own mobile catering business?

Cooking the food and running the van you've nailed: get the pricing, pitch and event-booking admin organised before you cook your first paid service.

See your recommended tools Browse everything for mobile catering

Instant digital downloads · UK-focused templates and guides · Not a substitute for professional advice.

The work is one thing. The setup is another.

Cooking the food and running the van is the part you're good at; turning it into a business is the part that catches people out. Once you're out trading you're juggling two pricing models at once, per-head packages for events and weddings and per-item prices at a street pitch, paying pitch and festival fees, taking deposits to hold event dates, and keeping on top of the food-hygiene, allergen and unit-safety side while stock and gas get used up by the hour. LaunchKit is a set of UK-focused, downloadable templates and guides to help you think through that setup side and get organised from your first service. It's a practical starting point, not a substitute for professional advice.

  • Pricing per head for events and per item at a pitch so both actually pay after stock, waste, gas and pitch fees
  • Taking deposits to hold a wedding or event date without awkward back-and-forth when a client changes the plan
  • Keeping on top of the food-hygiene, allergen and unit-safety side so every service goes out the way it should
  • Securing decent pitches, market spots and festival bookings, and pinning down the terms before you commit a whole weekend to it
  • Getting found and booked by event organisers, festivals and private clients when you'd rather be behind the griddle than on Instagram

What to sort first

Your get-set-up checklist

  1. 1

    Work out your two pricing models

    Set per-head event packages and per-item pitch prices so stock, waste, gas and pitch fees are all covered, with a minimum spend in mind for events.

  2. 2

    Sort your event and catering terms

    Decide how deposits, date-holding and changes work so quotes go out cleanly. It's a starting point to think through, not legal advice.

  3. 3

    Look into the food-business side

    Registering your food business with your local authority, food hygiene, allergen requirements and the gas and electrical safety of your unit are things to look into and sort yourself before you trade.

  4. 4

    Get your quote and invoice templates ready

    Have consistent paperwork to send for events, weddings and corporate bookings so quoting and billing don't eat your evenings.

  5. 5

    Set up simple money records

    Get a basic system for tracking takings and costs across pitches, festivals and events so tax time isn't a scramble.

  6. 6

    Plan how clients find and book you

    Think through Instagram, event organisers, local Facebook and festival and market networks so events and pitch trade keep coming in.

  7. 7

    Look into your insurance

    Cover for a mobile food business is worth looking into early. That's a prompt to look into, not insurance advice.

Suggested starter stack

A sensible order to build up

The same tools, grouped in the order most people pick them up. You don’t need everything at once — start with the essentials, then add the rest as your business grows.

Start with

Best first step
Startup Guide£4.99

Your map for the practical setup steps before your first paid service.

See what’s inside

Add next

Business Documents — Premium£19.99

The quote, booking-confirmation and invoice templates you'll use on events and corporate jobs.

See what’s inside
Pricing Calculator — Premium£14.99

So your per-head and per-item prices cover stock, waste, gas and pitch fees.

See what’s inside

Useful later

Social Media Content Kit£4.99

To help you show off your menu and get found and booked for events and pitches.

See what’s inside
Financial Forms Bundle — Premium£19.99

To keep deposits, event quotes and pitch takings tidy as you grow.

See what’s inside

Common questions

Before you buy anything

Do I need to buy everything before I start taking bookings?
No. Most caterers start with the startup guide to get the basics organised, then add quote and invoice templates and a pricing tool as they go. It's designed to help you build up your setup at your own pace.
Are these legal or food-safety documents?
No. These are downloadable templates and guides to help you get organised and set up practically. They're not a substitute for professional advice and don't replace any food-safety, registration, gas or safety requirement you're responsible for as a mobile food business.
Can I use these if I'm already trading?
Yes. Plenty of caterers who are already out at events and pitches pick these up to tidy up their pricing, event terms and invoicing rather than starting from scratch.
How do I receive the files?
They're instant digital downloads. After purchase you can download the templates and guides straight away and start using them.
Which should I buy first?
A good practical starting point is the startup guide, followed by the business documents for your booking paperwork and the pricing calculator to set your per-head and per-item prices. From there you can add the other tools as you need them.

Start with the right tools

Get the admin side organised so you can focus on the work. Browse the tools built for mobile catering businesses.

Start with the Startup Guide See all mobile catering tools

Related

Going self-employed in a related field

Free updates

Thinking about going self-employed?

Occasional practical tips and new tools for UK small businesses. No spam.