Sorry, no information for you.....but, I'm originally from Western PA! We're from New Castle. We're going up in June....can't wait!!
Hi! I live in Avonmore, about 20 miles down Route 819 form you! I became legal last year, so I can tell you everything you need to know about domestic kitchens. First of all, you need to take a food safety course and obtain a certificate stating that you passed the course. The Allegheny County Health Dept. offers one - it's over two days, they offer one or two sessions a month at various sites around Pittsburgh (mine was at Woodland Hills High School) and you have to pass an exam at the end. It costs $75 for non-Allegheny county residents and the certificate is valid for three years. It takes about six weeks from the date of your exam to receive the certificate. When it's due to expire, you can either re-take the entire course or just re-take the exam for $40. Once you have that, you have to get a license from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. The people that teach the food safety course will supply you with the form that you need to send to the PDA. That costs $20, and takes a few weeks to come. That license is valid for five years. Once you have that, the PDA will come and do an inspection. There's one guy for a pretty large region, so it may take a bit of time for him to be able to squeeze you into his schedule. But you have to call and schedule it yourself - the PDA won't keep track. It's no big deal, but if you have pets, have someone take them away for the day and hide all pet-related items! That's the only thing that they're real sticklers about. NO PETS!
It's actually pretty easy to become legal in Pennsylvania. I have a booth at the Ligionier Country Market where I sell baked stuff, organic vegetables and free-range eggs in addition to what I sell on a per order basis from home. Good luck!
Hi everyone from PA! Hi MJW15618! What is the name of your business? I don't really do many cakes but if I could be legal it would be nice. Do they check my food storage or anything? I already took the Food Safety Course at WCCC last fall. I will look for you at Ligonier Days. Thanks for answering me. LouAnn
I'm just starting the advertising phase - my boyfriend is working on a webpage and I'm having menu's printed up. My business is called "The Blue Birch Bakery" after my indigo-stained birch kitchen cabinets! The only thing the PDA wants as far as food storage is to have all of your baking supplies in pest-proof containers stored separately from your other "household" food. The Country Market runs for 19 weeks this year...Memorial Day weekend through September 30. I'll be there for almost all of them. My daughter shows horses and chickens through 4-H, so the only Saturday's that I'll miss will be the two horse show weekends (July 29 and Sept. 9). The market is a lot of fun and a great way to drum up business.
I will have to come to the Market to meet you. Besides cakes I do title searching at the courthouse so I got exposure to people there and I do birthdays for several offices there. I just had a bank call me to do their birthdays. I love baking and don't really want to get too busy because it becomes a job instead of something I like to do. Would you mind if I ask you about prices? I see what people from other places charge for cakes and I am amazed. I could not charge that in this area or no one would buy my cakes. Thanks for answering my questions. LouAnn
MJW15618-I will have to come to the Market to meet you. Besides cakes I do title searching at the courthouse so I got exposure to people there and I do birthdays for several offices there. I just had a bank call me to do their birthdays. I love baking and don't really want to get too busy because it becomes a job instead of something I like to do. Would you mind if I ask you about prices? I see what people from other places charge for cakes and I am amazed. I could not charge that in this area or no one would buy my cakes. Thanks for answering my questions. LouAnn
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