Food business from home advice please

[FoodFascist]

Hi there,
I'm thinking of starting up a bread/cake baking business from home, but I've got one question - is there any chance I'd pass the Food Premises assessment by the Council if I have a cat? Is having a pet a real Health and Safety issue?

many thanks.

Not sure - I have a friend who started a similar business, she doesn't have pets and I know that makes it less complicated. However, I don't think it rules it out all together, but I think you have to show how you will ensure there are never animals in your cooking area/kitchen etc. So you might have to re-evaluate where your cat is allowed in the house.

Um. Well the kitchen is a bit of a walk-through area so I can't really lock the cat out! I don't feed her in the kitchen, both her food and litter tray are in the utility room adjacent to the kitchen but the only way into that room is through the kitchen. She's not allowed on the kitchen counter and I wipe all surfaces down with vodka before any dough touches them. But of course who knows what the cat does when we're asleep...
I'll email the Council and see what they say.

Right. Council say pets are fine so long as they're kept out of the cooking area while cooking. Same goes for toddlers! So will have to be really organised so as to time it around DS's nap.
They sent me a leaflet detailing what sort of measures should be in place RE hygeine. E.g. have a separate sink for handwashing, wear an apron, hair tied back, everything to be kept in gppd nick... all common sense really, nothing particularly draconian. That's for a cake baking business though, I'm sure there'd be more regulations if I was to do any other type of catering, e.g. anything involving meat/fish etc.
Need to see how much public liability insurance costs!
DH not convinced [hsad] I have to try though, not working at all at mo, even if it's pocket money that's better than nothing.