Temporary Food Stalls

Food businesses wishing to sell food at temporary events such as fairs, festival, markets and shows are considered retail food businesses as they sell food to the public.

All temporary food stall operators must ensure they meet both site setup and food safety requirements, in accordance with the NSW Food Authority and the City of Ryde’s local policies.

Notification and Registration Requirements

City of Ryde provides a diverse range of events throughout the year. To find out more about City of Ryde’s events, please visit our dedicated Events page or Register your interest by completing the City of Ryde Stallholder Database. For all events organised by the City of Ryde Events Team, stallholders are required provide their business details prior to each event directly to City of Ryde. 

For privately organised events which are those not organised by the City of Ryde, stallholders must contact the Event Organiser and provide them with the required details to the event organiser who will then liaise with City of Ryde staff.  

If you are doing any food preparation or handling for your food stall at home, you must ensure that you have obtained appropriate development consent from Council for the operation of your home-based food business. Further information can be found on the Home Based Food Businesses page.

Temporary Food Stall Setup Requirements

Temporary food stalls must be designed and setup to prevent contamination and allow food the safe preparation and handling of food. As a minimum temporary food stalls must be:

• Located in a clean, dust-free area
• Positioned away from toilets, wastewater, and garbage bins
• Supplied with sufficient potable water for food handling and cleaning
• Suitably constructed with appropriate floors, walls, and ceilings
• Fitted with facilities for:
  • Safe food storage
  • Cooking and reheating
  • Hot and cold holding (temperature control, above 60°C and below 5°C)
  • Preparation and serving of food
  • Handwashing, with warm running water, soap, and single-use towels
  • Wastewater collection and disposal.

Find out more by reading NSW Food Authority's Guidelines for Food Businesses at Temporary Events.

Food Safety Requirements

Temporary food stalls need to practice safe food handling and preparation to meet the same food safety requirement of the Food Standards Code. This includes:

• Appointing a trained Food Safety Supervisor (unless exempt as a charity/community group).
• Providing a food grade sanitiser for use on all food contact surfaces and equipment.
• Using calibrated food thermometers to monitor food temperatures (cold foods must be kept below 5°C, hot foods above 60°C).
• Ensuring food contact surfaces, utensils, and containers are in a clean and sanitary condition
• Providing appropriate waste bins and disposing of waste responsibly.
• Labelling and allergen control (full list of ingredients, declaration of common allergens, manufacturer/ importer details and address)

Other requirements

Temporary food stall operators must also consider safety requirements under all aspects of their operation. This includes:

• Any electrical equipment must be tested and tagged by a licensed technician.
• Gas appliances must be in good working order and meet relevant safety standards.
• Fire extinguishers and fire blankets must be available if cooking with open flames or hot oils.
• Any site-specific requirements as directed by the event organiser.

Inspections

City of Ryde Environmental Health Officers may conduct on-site inspections during events to ensure compliance with all food safety and operational requirements.

More Information

For full guidelines, refer to the NSW Food Authority’s Guidelines for Food Businesses at Temporary Events.

If you have specific questions about food safety or stall setup, contact City of Ryde’s Environmental Health Team.