Who doesn’t love a bit of the Great British Bake Off? We’re certainly fans over here at Takeaway Packaging. 

Brits don’t just love watching the show — GBBO has also encouraged many home bakers to whack on the oven and grease their cake tins. In 2021, there was a 53% rise in home-baking businesses nationwide. 

In 2023, 46% of craft bakers think convenience is one of the significant factors influencing consumers, with more expected to shop locally. Good news for independent bakers! 

If you’re considering starting your own home-baking business or need some guidance, we’re here to help. As the UK’s eco-friendly food packaging experts, we’ve helped numerous baking brands master their marketing with branded packaging and deliver their homemade goods sustainably with eco-friendly food packaging designed for cakes, cookies, biscuits, brownies and more.

Let’s roll with it.

Getting Started with Packaging for Baked Goods

Not all packaging is created equally. By that, we mean not all of it is safe to use with food. Complying with food safety standards is vital for many reasons, including looking out for the welfare of your customers and the quality of your baked goods.

Food-Grade Packaging for Baked Goods

Let’s look at why following food-safety standards is so vital for your home baking business. 

1. Food safety & quality — Food-grade packaging preserves the freshness, appearance and flavour of perishable goods. Food-grade packaging also prevents the growth of harmful bacteria and keeps food safe to eat against changes in temperature or oxygen and moisture levels. 
2. Preventing food & packaging waste — Food-grade packaging keeps food fresher for longer, and eco-friendly packaging helps lessen the problem of plastic waste. Plant-based materials like bagasse and Kraft are biodegradable, meaning it’s easier for your customers to dispose of them responsibly. 
3. Your reputation — Customers won’t return if food safety standards are low. Develop a reputation for providing high-quality, safe food products to increase sales and customer loyalty. 

All businesses that serve food and beverages require food-grade packaging to comply with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidelines. Ensure you follow these regulations. Otherwise, you could be breaking the law.

All your food packaging must be stored appropriately for health and safety. For those avid bakers based at home, storage and maintaining high food safety standards might be an issue. This is where Takeaway Packaging can help. All our facilities have an AA rating for BRCGS accreditation (Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards). We store our stock in warehouses which strive to maintain the highest food safety standards. 

Related: Food Packaging Symbols Explained. 

Sustainable Baking Packaging

The vast majority of UK litter is dominated by food and drink packaging. The problem is so prolific that the government will ban single-use plastics in October 2023. Disposable cutlery, plates, bowls, polystyrene food containers and cups all fall under this ban. This means that your packaging supplies for baked goods must be eco-friendly.

Evidence has emerged that plastic packaging increases the potential for more food waste, and packaging ends up in landfills or in our ecosystems. 

Consumer habits are changing. Now more than ever, consumers care about sustainability when choosing food products. Eco-conscious customers want packaging which is naturally compostable, biodegradable or easily recyclable. 

There’s no doubt that eco-friendly baking packaging will benefit your business. In fact, 70% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging, so those first eco-impressions mean a lot. You can get a huge leg up on your competition if you can prove to your customers you’re committed to sustainability. 

Related: Combatting Littering with Customised Packaging 

Branded Baking Packaging

Your packaging for baked goods needs to offer a personalised experience for customers to draw them in and encourage repeat purchases. Your doughnuts might be delectable, and your cakes are killing it, but you still need to promote your business. Branded packaging is one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to promote your brand. 

A custom, sustainable packaging design will help you:

• Build brand awareness
• Enhance customer loyalty
• Generate brand advocacy
• Increase trust and familiarity 
• Drive revenue 
• Enhanced marketing via social media
• Impress eco-conscious customers
• Advertise for free!

Use colour, logos and graphics to entice your target customers or maintain consistency for your regulars. In the age of social media, everyone is sharing their purchases with the world, so it’s even more imperative to get your packaging right. If you need a guiding hand, our experienced in-house design team will happily help you create your custom designs. 

Related: Should You Use Branded Takeaway Packaging?

Get a free design quote for custom packaging in just 48 hours. 

The Best Eco-Friendly Packaging for Baked Goods

What do I need to start a home baking business?

If you’re in the home baking business, you’ll need product-specific packaging for cakes, desserts and other delectable delights. 

Let’s look at some packaging examples to keep your baked goods fresh and delicious. 

	Cake Boxes Cakes or cake slices can be delicately designed with icing or sprinkles, so cake packaging needs to cover your entire dessert. Cake boxes will keep your goods fresh — especially our range of Kraftware cake boxes. They’re easy to open and store flat, and a useful handle holds all four sides firmly in place. Biodegradable, recyclable and compostable, these boxes are made from sustainably sourced wood pulp.
	Snack Boxes Try a sustainable snack box for brownies, pastries, flapjacks or smaller baked goods. Even if it’s marketed for savoury packaging, it can be the ideal choice for sweet treats, just like our recyclable and compostable pizza and meal boxes. Our snack boxes are lined with virgin Kraft paper, which provides greater grease resistance, so there’s no need for additional greaseproof paper. We’ve even got snack boxes with compostable, clear windows to show off your sweet and savoury bakes.
	Greaseproof Paper Greaseproof paper is indispensable when it comes to a heat-proof, non-stick surface. It’s especially ideal to keep your more resilient bakes fresh — like bread and cookies. Unfortunately, most greaseproof paper isn’t recyclable because of its silicone coating and when it’s contaminated with oil and grease. Our eco-friendly greaseproof paper is built differently. It’s fully compostable as it’s made from tightly compacted fibres, making it impermeable to oil and grease without a silicone lining. Related: Is Greaseproof Paper Recyclable?  Looking for custom greaseproof paper? Find out more about how we can help.
	Paper Bags Customers need to be able to carry around your baked goods easily. Choosing a paper bag from 80% recycled materials is the way to go. Flat-handle and twisted-handle paper bags are incredibly strong and perfect for heavy items, allowing your customers to carry their purchases around conveniently. Our paper bags are 100% compostable, biodegradable and recyclable. Showcase your brand today with a custom-printed paper bag
	Food Carriers  Transport or deliver your baked goods in a sturdy food carrier. All our food carriers are compostable and are made from Kraft board with gable or fold-down handles. Keep food fresh with secure fastenings and a crash-lock base, and save on storage space as these boxes are shipped flat-packed. Easily assembled with self-locking tabs, you can even add your own stamp on these with a custom design.

How to Make Home Baking Business a Success

When you’re starting out, it can be hard to imagine making money from selling homemade baked goods, but we’re here to help you put the “profit” in your “profiteroles”. 

If you want to follow in the footsteps of Alana Spencer’s baking business — the one from The Apprentice — we thought we’d give you some tips on achieving sweet success without Lord Sugar.

Besides packaging, here are a few other things you’ll need to think about if you want to start a home baking business to the next level:

1. Set up Your Business Correctly

Once you’ve proven your products to your friends, family and neighbours and got the right packaging, you should consider a few more things — whether your baking business becomes a side gig or your full-time occupation. 

If your solo baking project is taking off, registering as a sole trader is the best way to keep your financial affairs in order. If you’re at the stage where you’re formally employing people — not just roping in your partner or kids — it might be better to form a limited company, so speak to an adviser who’ll help you make the right decisions when establishing your business.

It’s also worth considering how you will take payments and receive your income, so you might want to set up a business bank account to help you keep track of your earnings and expenses.

2. Protect Yourself and Get Covered

You will need to consider many other elements, from liability insurance to health and safety standards, which will protect you from any of the most common mishaps in the catering industry. 

3. Make Moves with Your Marketing

Packaging and marketing go hand in hand. Your baked goods packaging can be a walking advertisement to potential new customers. Brand messaging is incredibly important. You must effectively communicate your USP (unique selling point) and brand personality to your target audience. 

Ask yourself:

Why should people buy baked goods from my brand rather than a competitor?

Your brand messaging can motivate customers to buy from you. It’s also worth thinking about how to market your business. Today, 91% of businesses use social media videos as a marketing tool, with the app TikTok having one of the widest reaches and engagement of all time.

Think about posting recipe videos on Instagram or offering baking tips and advice on your social media channels — but make sure to include that branded packaging!

Related: 7 Brilliant Benefits of Branded Takeaway Packaging

Ordering Packaging for Your Baking Brand

By now, you should have all you need to know about what you need to start your own home-baking business. Sustainability, good branding and functionality are key to making sure customers come back again and again.

Takeaway Packaging can lend you a hand with your packaging supplies for baked goods. We have low minimum order quantities for branded packaging and free next-day delivery for non-branded packaging orders over £100. Start your sustainable journey today! 

Get a free design quote from our packaging experts and make your home baking business rise! 

Not ready for branded packaging? Visit our online shop and explore a huge range of sustainable packaging solutions for cakes, cookies and more.