Food Stalls and Markets

Food stalls are temporary structures used to sell or give away food at events, fairs or markets. All food stalls need to be registered as a food business under the Food Act 2014 to sell food in the district. The only exceptions are if:

• you are a charity organisation or are fundraising, and sell food fewer than 20 times a year; or
• if you run a club, organisation or society that sometimes sells food at member events.

You can view all exemptions from plans or programmes on the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) website.

Apply to be registered

Apply for an occasional food stall permit here.

If you are selling food for profit or more than 20 times per year, whether on public or private land, you will need to register your food stall. Work out which plan applies to you using MPI's 'My Food Rules' tool.

If you are selling food from a stall more than 20 times per year and intend to ONLY sell within Central Hawke's Bay, you can apply and be verified by Council through your RealMe login.

If you are selling food from a stall more than 20 times per year and intend to sell OUTSIDE of the district, you will need to find and contact a registered verifier before you apply for your registration certificate with us. Once you have chosen a verifier and received confirmation letter from them, you can apply for registration through your RealMe login.

You will need:

• your NZ business number and a copy of your certificate of incorporation, if your business is a limited liability company
• a confirmation letter from your chosen verifier.

What to do once you're registered

Once your food stall is registered and verified, you can operate from private land as long as you have permission from landowners, and trading from that land is permitted in our District Plan.

If you want to trade in a public space (e.g. on road reserves or in a public park or sports field), you'll need to apply to Council for a public trading licence here. 

You can only operate outside of the district if you are verified by an external verifier and have registered to do so. Please contact our Customer Service on 06 857 8060 if you have any questions.

Market organisers

Apply to operate a market or event here.

A market can be a great community enterprise providing a wealth of vibrancy, goods and foods to our community. Any market or event (occasional or periodic) must be approved and registered with Council. Our teams need to evaluate many factors in preparation for a market, including by not limited to: 

• Traffic management and ease of parking for customers
• Compliance of all food stalls
• Health and safety requirements
• Rights to occupation
• District Plan requirements
• Building codes
• Alcohol licensing and local alcohol policies
• Local bylaws

All food services/food for sale for human consumption must be registered or permitted to operate a stall at a market. It is the market organiser who is responsible for making sure all stall holders have the correct registration or permit under the Food Act 2014.  

Market fees and charges

Once your application has been received, you will receive an invoice. You can find the current fees and charges below.