After-hours trading laws apply to ice cream sellers, so you’ll need an entertainment licence. You should register your food business with the local authority 28 days before opening.
To secure a street trader’s licence, contact the local council for the chosen area and tell them where and when you want to trade. You also need a Food Hygiene Certificate, a legal requirement deeming if the food and area it’s served in is safe.
You’ll need a street trader’s licence if selling from a bike, van or kiosk on the public highway or pavements. You won’t need this licence if selling on private land seven metres from the highway with the landowner’s permission. Simply visit gov.uk and pop in your postcode to find your next step.
Many local authorities also prohibit itinerant ice cream vans from trading within 65 metres of schools.
There are standard ice cream vans and cargo vans like Mercedes Sprinter, Ford Transit that have been converted. An ice cream van with built-in freezers sells online for about £40,000 used or £60,000 new. An ice cream bike is cheaper at about £2,000.
A food truck costs around £20,000, with freezers or dispensers installed separately. If not trading from a vehicle, you’ll likely still need one for transport, either with inbuilt freezers or portable.
You can join ice cream franchises operating in the UK, which has lower entry barriers compared to starting your own truck, but you’ll sell another company’s ice cream. Running a franchise has start-up costs, but selling might be easier under a well-known brand without much advertising spend.
As a food business, you’ll need to adhere to food hygiene regulations. Variables like location and menu affect franchise profitability, but ice cream franchises can do very well.
The highest salary for an Ice Cream Vendor in UK is £78,184 per year.
Prices vary for the same product with a difference of pounds charged by vans selling a few miles apart.
If you have a standard car licence, you can drive a van up to 3,500 kg. Fuel is a major cost, with most vans refuelling every other day depending on mileage. So rising gas prices will impact profits.
Do you need a license to sell ice cream from a van UK?
Answer: Yes, you’ll need a street trader’s licence to sell ice cream from a bike, van, or kiosk on the public highway, unless you’re trading on private land seven metres away from the highway with the landowner’s permission.
What insurance do you need for an ice cream van?
Answer: The exact insurance requirements can vary, but at minimum, you will typically need public liability insurance, and you may also consider vehicle insurance, product liability insurance, and employer’s liability insurance if you have staff.