If you’re a foodie looking for extra cash, you should consider getting a food side hustle. You can consider selling food, or if you’re not a great cook, finding ways to make money with food without having to do the cooking. There are plenty of food-related jobs on Airtasker, so you can find one that fits your skill set.
These food related side hustles can range between food photography, food delivery, cooking and other food-related jobs, so you’re sure to find one that suits your interests and goals. Let’s dive in and check out how to make money with food!
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1. Cooking as a side hustle
If you’re a foodie who’s also a whiz in the kitchen, then you might be wondering how to make money by cooking at home. There are plenty of ways to make money with your culinary skills. Choose between private chef gigs, selling baked goods, opening a restaurant, and plenty of other ways to use your kitchen expertise to earn extra cash.
This is one of the most obvious ways to start working with food and turning your culinary passion into a stream of income. You can start small with a quaint food business or simple cooking gigs. You can also work your way up the restaurant and catering industry, or explore niche markets like pop-up dining. Cooking is a versatile and satisfying pursuit, and you’re sure to work with food as much as possible.
2. Take photos of food
Only some foodies are great cooks. If you’re not an expert in the culinary arts, you can still showcase the beauty of food by becoming a food photographer! You can take pictures for restaurants to put on their menus, food businesses to put on their packaging, or recipe sites to post with their tasty treats. While you might not be handling the food directly, you’re still making the food the star of the show with your food porn-worthy shots.
Food photography jobs are more complex than taking pictures with your smartphone. Becoming a food photographer takes a bit of work. Make sure you have a quality camera to take high-resolution photos, team up with food stylists who know their way around a plate, and keep your portfolio refreshed to attract clients who want you to capture their delicious delicacies.
3. Open a food truck business
A popular way to start a food business quickly is by opening a food truck. This method is the ultimate side hustle business because you decide how it runs and what you serve daily. You decide what, when, and how you sell. It provides a flexible way to test whether the food you and your business partners make will be marketable and profitable.
If you want to know how to make money with a food truck, look at how other food trucks have become successful. Start with a unique concept and name, hire a chef that makes excellent food, and sell trendy and fun dishes that everyone will rave about on social media. The food truck business is fast-paced and thrives when you use the power of trends.
4. Start a food blog or vlog
Writing about food can be a great way to work with food without doing the cooking. Whether you write about your local restaurants, a specialty cuisine you have much experience with or your general thoughts on food culture, there’s always a unique angle you can find to talk about in the food world. Finding your niche is difficult, but you’re set for a successful food blog once you find a topic with an audience.
Can you make money with a food blog? Finding revenue streams for your blog can be challenging. Still, the most common ways to earn from a blog are by running ads and using affiliate marketing, especially if your blog becomes popular. This advice also works for food vlogging, another way to earn money from food content. Run ads on your YouTube videos and watch the revenue roll in.
5. Go into food delivery
One of the most popular ways to earn money with food without actually handling it is by delivering food to others.
According to a study conducted by the CIPD on the UK gig economy, it has been found that food delivery is a prevalent gig economy job. The study estimates that over 80,000 people in the UK work in food delivery roles. It’s a booming trend that offers a great opportunity to earn extra income, so why not explore this side hustle?
All this task entails is picking up food from restaurants and delivering it to their customers. While it may not be the most glamorous of the jobs listed here, it’s an in-demand job that can earn you quick cash without much effort. A food delivery side hustle can also come with perks like tips and free food from generous customers.
6. Grow food by gardening
Fresh produce is at the core of all good food, and growing food as a gardener is a satisfying and worthwhile side hustle. Gardening is a task that requires patience and time to maintain your plants. However, it ultimately rewards you with fruits and vegetables to sell to restaurants, in a market or your neighbours.
Before growing any patch of produce, ensure you have the skills necessary to cultivate the fruits or vegetables. This is one of the more challenging side hustles on our list, but it can turn into a long-term business, especially if you have the means to scale your production.
7. Become a restaurant critic
Get paid for food reviews by becoming a restaurant critic. This is a dream job for foodies, as it entails eating in restaurants all over your city and giving your opinions on the food, the service, the ambience, and everything else about an eatery. It’s a way to earn money from food while also eating food made by others.
However, if you want to get paid to review restaurants, you have to put in the work:
- You have to have pristine writing skills and gain experience in the journalism industry.
- Your food knowledge must match those in the food industry, as that’s the only way to write reliable reviews.
- You have to put yourself out there as a food critic.
Before becoming a reputable reviewer, you must establish your name in the industry, which can be challenging.
Start making money with food
If you have a big place in your heart for food, you should consider making money with it. Airtasker has a lot of food side hustles where you can make some extra cash. Just set up a Tasker profile, and Airtasker handles all the payments and insurance for you so you can focus on earning as soon as possible.
FAQs
How do I start a food side business?
Successful food side businesses always start with a unique concept. Whether it’s a family recipe that no one can copy or a hole in the market in your area, ensure your business’s idea gives you the edge over others. Once you’re sure you have a solid vision, it’s time to develop recipes and iron out your operations.
Of course, there’s a ton of paperwork involved as well. Once you register your business, you have to get the word out there and ensure your supply meets your customers’ demand.
What is the easiest food to sell?
Food businesses live and die by how well they can sell to the public, which means easy-to-make and easy-to-market food is preferable so you can make sales fast. Food like candies, cookies and sandwiches are some of the easiest foods to sell, but if you have a food you make really well and without too much effort, you can try to sell that as well!
What food sells best?
When you open up a food business, it’s important to check out what food will sell in your area. A popular way to sell food is opening a concession stand because classic concessions are both profitable and popular. Things like hot dogs, french fries, pizza, and other snack foods sell well as they are easy to eat and well-loved.
How do you start a food vlog?
If you’re interested in creating video content for a food vlog, your first task is to define your brand. Whether you’re a humble homemaker making delightful treats, or a foodie putting your reactions to good food online, you have to create a persona that people want to watch. Afterwards, you have to create content consistent with your brand. That’s how you can start building a fanbase that clamours for your cooking videos.
