How to Start a Brewery in British Columbia
Start a brewery in British Columbia: get the federal brewer's licence first, then the LCRB manufacturer licence, sign the LDB sales agreement, and pass the final inspection.
How to Start a Bakery in British Columbia
Start a bakery in British Columbia: get FOODSAFE Level 1, win health-authority approval for your premises, register the business and municipal licence, and label packaged goods under the federal rules.
Applies in: British Columbia
The short answer
Get FOODSAFE Level 1 first, then get your regional health authority to approve the floor plans before you build anything. In British Columbia a bakery is food premises under the Food Premises Regulation, and the health officer's approval comes before construction, before the operating permit, and before the first sale. The municipal business licence and the BC Registries registration run on separate tracks — neither one substitutes for health approval.
Step 1: Pick the format — it decides which approvals apply
A bakery-cafe that serves food for immediate consumption is a food service establishment, and it needs a health operating permit. A wholesale bakery, or a shop that only sells packaged goods made elsewhere, is a food store or food manufacturer, and it needs health approval to operate instead. That distinction comes from Fraser Health, Requirements for new food businesses: food businesses that prepare and serve food intended for immediate consumption must obtain a health operating permit, while food stores and food manufacturers must obtain approval to operate.
Decide the format before you sign a lease, because it decides which application form you file, whether you need a permit or an approval, and what the health officer inspects. A market stall or a temporary setup is a third case: temporary food businesses must submit their application to the local environmental health officer at least 14 days before the event, according to the same Fraser Health, Requirements for new food businesses page. If you plan to sell at farmers markets as well as from a shop, tell the health officer both, so the one approval covers both.
Your health authority depends on where the bakery sits: Fraser Health, Vancouver Coastal Health, Interior Health, Island Health, or Northern Health. The environmental health officer — also called a public health inspector — is your contact for the whole process.
Step 2: Get FOODSAFE Level 1 before you open
Section 10 of the Food Premises Regulation says every operator of a food service establishment must hold a certificate for the successful completion of the food handler training program known as FOODSAFE or its equivalent, and must ensure that at least one employee present in the establishment holds the certificate while the operator is away, according to BC Laws, Food Premises Regulation, B.C. Reg. 210/99. Vancouver Coastal Health states it the same way: every owner or operator must hold a valid FOODSAFE Level 1 Certificate or its equivalent, and when the owner or operator is away, at least one employee must hold this certification, according to Vancouver Coastal Health, Food Service Permits and Health Approvals.
FOODSAFE Level 1 is a one-day, 7-to-8-hour classroom course, or an online course through Open School BC that you can complete over 1 to 20 days, or a distance course through go2HR that allows up to 6 months. The online course costs $69 excluding taxes, the distance course costs $105 excluding shipping and handling, and classroom fees vary by provider. The passing grade is 70% for all three routes, and the online course and exam are in English only, according to FOODSAFE, FOODSAFE Level 1 and FOODSAFE, Frequently asked questions.
The certificate is valid for 5 years after it is issued. If it is still valid you can renew it with the online Level 1 Refresher, which costs $55 excluding taxes and has a passing grade of 80%; once it has expired you must take the full Level 1 course again, according to FOODSAFE, Frequently asked questions. Train at least two people — yourself and one backup — so the shop is never left without a certified person on site.
Step 3: Get the health authority's approval, floor plans first
Do not start construction before the health officer has approved the plans. Section 3 of the Food Premises Regulation says a person must not construct or make alterations to food premises unless the plans and specifications have been approved by a health officer, and section 6 says a person must not operate food premises unless the plans have been approved and the premises are constructed and maintained in accordance with the permit, according to BC Laws, Food Premises Regulation, B.C. Reg. 210/99.
The application package your environmental health officer will ask for is: the floor plans drawn to scale, the application form, your FOODSAFE certificate, a food safety plan, a sanitation plan, and the proposed menu with ingredients and processes. Vancouver Coastal Health lists exactly those items for review before the initial inspection, and notes that floor plans must be reviewed and approved before the beginning of construction, according to Vancouver Coastal Health, Food Service Permits and Health Approvals. Fraser Health adds that all operators of food premises in British Columbia are required to have a food safety plan and a sanitation plan, and that operating permits and approvals are non-transferable — a change of ownership means a new application, according to Fraser Health, Requirements for new food businesses.
Once the documents are approved, the environmental health officer inspects the premises before opening, to check that the construction matches the approved floor plan and meets food safety and sanitation standards. For a food service establishment the officer then issues the operating permit, which you must post in a conspicuous location in the establishment, as section 8 of the regulation requires. The permit is annual in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, and it is not transferable to a new owner or to a temporary event, according to Vancouver Coastal Health, Food Service Permits and Health Approvals.
Step 4: Register the business and get the municipal licence
Register the business with BC Registries and Online Services. Submit a name request first — the fee is $30 — and register within 56 days of receiving the Name Request Number. Registering a sole proprietorship costs $40, according to the Government of British Columbia, Information on Registration of Proprietorship. A sole proprietor trading under their own legal name does not need a name request or a provincial registration. Once registered you receive a Business Number, which you use for remitting taxes and for WorkSafeBC payments, according to the Government of British Columbia, Start your business page.
Then get the municipal business licence from the city or town where the bakery operates, and confirm the zoning allows a bakery at that address before you sign the lease. Depending on your business location and activities, you may need permits or licences from the local, provincial, or federal government, and the province points businesses to BizPaL to find which ones apply, on the same Government of British Columbia, Start your business page. If you hire staff, register with WorkSafeBC and follow the BC Employment Standards Act, on the same page.
Step 5: Build the label and the allergen routine together
Anything you package for sale needs a label that follows the federal rules, and the label and the allergen routine are the same job, not two. Most of the mandatory information on food labels must be shown in both French and English. The label needs a common name, the net quantity on the principal display panel, a list of ingredients starting with the ingredient that weighs the most, an allergen statement for priority food allergens and gluten sources in the ingredient list or in a statement that begins with "Contains", and a Nutrition Facts table showing the serving size, calories, the amount of 12 nutrients, and percent daily values, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Understanding food labels.
Two more rules catch bakeries out. Foods with 90 days or less of anticipated shelf life need date marking, and most prepackaged foods must carry the front-of-package nutrition symbol when saturated fat, sugars, or sodium are at or above the specified thresholds, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Retail foods. The name and principal place of business of the person or company responsible for the product must also appear on prepackaged food, on the same page.
Build the allergen routine into production, not just onto the label. Keep an ingredient list for every recipe, with the allergen sources named plainly; use a "May contain" statement only where cross-contamination is genuinely possible; and keep the label for each product next to its recipe so a recipe change triggers a label check. Missing allergens are the most frequent cause of Canadian food recalls, so treat a label change as part of the recipe change, not as paperwork for later.
Step 6: Open on a production routine the health officer can inspect
The regulation sets the temperatures your routine must hold. Potentially hazardous food must be stored or displayed at not more than 4°C or not less than 60°C, and frozen food must be stored, displayed, or transported at not more than -18°C, according to BC Laws, Food Premises Regulation, B.C. Reg. 210/99. Keep a thermometer log for fridges, freezers, and hot-holding, and keep it where the health officer can see it on inspection.
Buy only from approved sources: every operator must ensure all food on the premises is obtained from food premises with approved plans, or from a source approved by the government of Canada, the provincial government, or another province or territory, under section 11 of the same regulation. And every operator must immediately notify a health officer of any circumstance in the food premises that may cause a health hazard, under section 7.
Your food safety plan and sanitation plan are living documents, not one-time filings. Update them when you add a product, change a supplier, or change a process, and keep the current versions on site. If the health officer finds a problem on inspection, fix the underlying item and ask for a re-inspection rather than arguing the finding — the permit depends on the premises meeting the regulation, not on the application being filed.
Figures this guide does not state
The opened official pages do not state health operating permit fees, municipal business licence fees, or building-permit fees for a bakery fit-out, so this guide gives none of them — health permit fees are set by each regional health authority, and licence and permit fees are set by each municipality, so check the current fee schedule of the authority that issues each one before you budget. The opened pages also do not state a processing time for a health operating permit application, so this guide gives no timeline; submit the application package well before your planned opening date.
Related guides:
Starting a bakery in British Columbia, in six steps
- Pick the formatA retail bakery-cafe needs a health operating permit; a wholesale bakery or food store needs health approval instead. The format decides which permit you apply for.
- Get FOODSAFE Level 1Every operator of a food service establishment must hold FOODSAFE or its equivalent, and at least one certified employee must be present when the operator is away.
- Get the health authority's approval, floor plans firstSubmit floor plans to your regional health authority's environmental health officer before construction, then the application, food safety plan, and sanitation plan.
- Register the business and get the municipal licenceApprove the business name through BC Registries for $30, register the proprietorship for $40, and get the municipal business licence separately.
- Build the label and the allergen routine togetherPackaged goods carry a bilingual label with the common name, net quantity, ingredients in descending order, allergens, and a Nutrition Facts table.
- Open on a production routine the health officer can inspectHold potentially hazardous food at 4°C or colder, or 60°C or hotter, keep frozen food at -18°C or colder, and buy only from approved sources.
Questions people ask
Do I need FOODSAFE before I open my bakery?
Yes. Section 10 of the Food Premises Regulation says every operator of a food service establishment must hold a certificate for the successful completion of the food handler training program known as FOODSAFE or its equivalent, and must ensure at least one employee present holds the certificate while the operator is away, according to [BC Laws, Food Premises Regulation, B.C. Reg. 210/99](https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/11_210_99). Get the certificate before you apply for the operating permit, not after.
Do I need a health operating permit, or is health approval enough?
It depends on the format. Food businesses that prepare and serve food intended for immediate consumption must obtain a health operating permit, while food stores and food manufacturers must obtain approval to operate, according to [Fraser Health, Requirements for new food businesses](https://www.fraserhealth.ca/health-topics-a-to-z/food-safety/requirements-for-food-businesses). A retail bakery-cafe that serves food for immediate consumption is a food service establishment, so it needs the permit. A wholesale bakery that only makes packaged goods for other sellers needs approval instead.
Can I build out the bakery before the health authority approves the plans?
No. Section 3 of the Food Premises Regulation says a person must not construct or make alterations to food premises unless the plans and specifications have been approved by a health officer, and section 6 says a person must not operate food premises unless the plans have been approved and the premises are constructed in accordance with the permit, according to [BC Laws, Food Premises Regulation, B.C. Reg. 210/99](https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/11_210_99). Vancouver Coastal Health puts it the same way: floor plans must be reviewed and approved before construction begins, according to [Vancouver Coastal Health, Food Service Permits and Health Approvals](https://www.vch.ca/en/service/food-service-permits-and-health-approvals).
What must go on the label of a packaged loaf?
Most of the mandatory information must be shown in both French and English, the label needs a common name, the net quantity on the principal display panel, a list of ingredients starting with the ingredient that weighs the most, an allergen statement for priority allergens and gluten sources, and a Nutrition Facts table showing the serving size, calories, 12 nutrients, and percent daily values, according to the [Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Understanding food labels](https://inspection.canada.ca/en/food-labels/labelling/consumers/understanding-food-labels). Foods with 90 days or less of anticipated shelf life also need date marking, and foods high in saturated fat, sugars, or sodium need the front-of-package nutrition symbol, according to the [Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Retail foods](https://inspection.canada.ca/en/food-labels/labelling/industry/retail-foods).
Do I still need a municipal business licence after health approval?
Yes. Health approval and the municipal business licence are separate. Depending on your business location and activities, you may need permits or licences from the local, provincial, or federal government, and the province points businesses to BizPaL to find which ones apply, according to the [Government of British Columbia, Start your business](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/business/managing-a-business/starting-a-business). The health operating permit does not replace the licence, and the licence does not replace the health permit.
How long does a FOODSAFE Level 1 certificate last, and how do I renew it?
A FOODSAFE Level 1 certificate is valid for 5 years after it is issued, with the date shown on the certificate, according to [FOODSAFE, Frequently asked questions](https://www.foodsafe.ca/faq.html). If your certificate is still valid, you can renew it with the online Level 1 Refresher, which costs $55 excluding taxes and has a passing grade of 80%. Once it has expired you must take the full Level 1 course again, on the same page.
Sources
- BC Laws, Food Premises Regulation, B.C. Reg. 210/99 — plan approval before construction, the operating permit, FOODSAFE training, approved food sources, the 4°C and 60°C holding temperatures, and the -18°C frozen temperature.
- FOODSAFE, FOODSAFE Level 1 — the classroom, online, and distance routes, the $69 online fee, the $105 distance fee, and the 1-to-20-day online duration.
- FOODSAFE, Frequently asked questions — the 5-year certificate validity, the 70% passing grade, the $55 Refresher with an 80% passing grade, and the expired-certificate rule.
- Fraser Health, Requirements for new food businesses — the health operating permit versus approval, the food safety and sanitation plans, non-transferable permits, and the 14-day temporary food business application.
- Vancouver Coastal Health, Food Service Permits and Health Approvals — the annual permit, floor plan approval before construction, the application package, the pre-opening inspection, and the FOODSAFE requirement.
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Understanding food labels — bilingual labelling, the common name, net quantity, the Nutrition Facts table, ingredients in descending order, and the allergen statement.
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Retail foods — date marking for foods with 90 days or less of shelf life, the front-of-package nutrition symbol, and the name and principal place of business.
- Government of British Columbia, Start your business — the business structures, the name request, the Business Number, and the permits and licences required in B.C.
- Government of British Columbia, Information on Registration of Proprietorship — the $30 name request fee and the $40 proprietorship registration fee.