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Are you one of the many thousands of talented Australian home chefs cooking up a storm for family and friends? If you’re a whizz in the kitchen and your beef lasagne is legendary or butter chicken to die for, then it might be time to consider earning some extra money doing something you love.
Not every great home cook wants to turn their skills into a full-time job, however, no matter your speciality, there are a few ways you can turn your passion for cooking and baking into some extra dollars in your spare time.
Become a Maker with FoodByUs
Whether your speciality is cakes, curry or chutney, if you like the idea of being able to control what you cook and when you cook it, then becoming a Maker with FoodByUs might be right for you.
FoodByUs is a food sharing app that connects talented home cooks with hungry locals. You can start as small as you like, perhaps even offering just one signature dish, but this is also a great option if you’re considering starting up your own catering business from home. You can test the water, see what demand is like for your food, and there are no initial setup costs. You simply do a quality test and notify your local council, then the team at FoodByUs will upload your profile online allowing locals to order your food. You can accept or decline orders based on your work/family schedule so it’s completely flexible and low risk.
Start a food blog on WordPress
Whilst we’ve all heard of the few food bloggers who have managed to land lucrative book deals as a result of their food blog, such as The Love and Lemons Cookbook from the hugely popular Love & Lemons blog, this is not the norm. Neither is it easy to start earning enough money from your food blog to give up your day job, although it is possible.
However, if you love cooking, and want to share your creations with the world, starting a food blog, and eventually earning some cash through blogging about the products and services of brands in exchange for payment and advertising is one way to make some extra money from your passion. Set up your blog using a hosting site, such as WordPress, sign up to an advertising network and work hard on making your content and photography slick to pursue your passion and earn a little extra on the side.
Offer weekend cooking classes
If you’re gifted at cake decoration, make the best Thai feast, or are a sushi master then you might want to consider offering cooking classes at the weekends. This option works well if you have a slightly different cooking style or can offer an exciting or unique cuisine.
Once you have your idea in place and have thought about who you’ll be targeting with your cooking class, how much to charge, what you’ll be teaching, and have checked in with your local council to see if you need a special license to operate your business, you’ll need to create an online presence (website and social media platform). Now it’s time to get the word out there and start marketing your class to get your very first pupil, you can use listing websites such as Eventbrite, WhatsOn and GetEvents.
Host a pop-up dining experience with WelcomeOver
If you don’t fancy being tied into something, then hosting a one off pop-up dining experience for people to come and enjoy your amazing food for one night only (and pay for the privilege) is the option for you.
WelcomeOver is a global community that invites people to dine in homes around the world. Guests can connect with amazing hosts, share stories and unforgettable experiences, and enjoy delicious homemade cuisine. Whether it’s a one off, or a monthly occurrence, you can charge anything from $15 to $100 for a night full of tasty food and great conversation.
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