FOOD & DRINK STALL GUIDELINES
Please see our stallholder handbook for general stallholder information.
Food Business Registration
If you are a food retailer, it is your responsibility to make sure you have the permits required to trade. The ACT Government Health Protection Service requires those selling or sampling medium- and high-risk foods at market stalls to have an ACT Market Stall Food Business Registration, even if you are registered in your home state or territory. Some exemptions do apply, so please contact the Health Protection Service to determine if you need a registration. Read more about food business registration here.
You also need to comply with food safety requirements such as having a food safety supervisor and hand washing station if required. Please visit the ACT Government’s page on food safety for food stalls for more information. Please note Handmade is not a ‘declared event’ but the guidelines are the same.
ACT Health conduct random checks of the market and it is your responsibility to have the correct food business registration.
If you have any further questions you can contact the Health Protection Service to discuss the registration and food safety on (02) 5124 9700 or email hps@act.gov.au.
Food Samples
If you put samples out on your stall you are required to have a handwashing station behind your stall for staff. A jerry can with a tap, soap, a receptacle to catch the water, and paper towel will suffice. If you’re looking for something more substantial, you can find portable wash basins like this one. This is a requirement of the ACT Government Health Protection Service.
Additionally, if your samples are a high-risk food, you may be required to have an ACT Market Stall Food Business Registration, even if your packaged products are low-risk. For example, if you sell packaged curry sauce (which would be considered low-risk) but you put out samples of curry made with chicken, you may require a registration. Please contact the Health Protection Service to confirm.
Cool Rooms
You are welcome to bring your own coolroom, however you must notify us in advance so we can ensure there is enough space and power connections. There is a dedicated area outside Coorong where you can park and connect your own cool room. If this space fills up, there is a second space across the road from Coorong. Barlens offer cool room and indoor fridge hire, and the venue EPIC also has a small number of cool rooms for hire.
Cooking on Site
Our 3x3m Food Stalls are specifically for those who are cooking onsite and are required by ACT Health to have a marquee for food safety reasons. Marquees are not allowed in any regular stalls.
Soft Drinks
Food stalls are not permitted to sell commercial soft drinks, however you may sell bottled water (and we highly recommend you do!). Only stalls approved to sell other types of drinks may do so.
LIQUOR VENDORS
Coorong Pavilion is licensed for the sale of liquor in closed containers for offsite consumption, and for alcohol sampling. Handmade provides RSA licensed guards within the area to enforce that during the market no opened alcohol leaves the area. In addition, all your staff at the market must be RSA certified. The ACT recognises RSA certificates issued by registered training organisations in other states.
You need to apply for your own ACT Commercial Permit with ACT Liquor & Gaming before each market. Unless licensees hold an ACT general license with a special condition that allows them to trade at events, all vendors will require an ACT Commercial Liquor Permit to trade at the Handmade Market. Your liquor permit must be displayed on your stand during the event. You will need to display an offence for under 18 to purchase, possess or consume liquor sign on your stall at all times through out the market.
Prior to the event Handmade will email you a letter of support to attached to your commercial liquor permit application.
Once you receive your letter of support from us, you can apply for your permit for our event. Please upload your application receipt AND your permit certificates to your dashboard in the members’ area before the event.
We ask that you upload your receipt once you have applied for your permit, so we can follow up with Access Canberra Liquor to make sure the permits are approved. Access Canberra don’t approve any permits until all applications for the event have been submitted.
Alcohol Samples
If you put liquor samples out on your stall you are required to have a handwashing station behind your stall set up for all staff, as detailed above. This is an ACT Government Health Protection Service requirement.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Bump In
You’ll find our bump in hours for each market in the members’ area, and in the stallholder email newsletters. Please note there is no driving in to any of the EPIC buildings so please come prepared with your own trolley.
Power
If you require a power connection at your stall, you can order this directly through Barlens using the order form in our resource area. Please note each electrical item you will be using needs to be tagged and tested and this will be checked prior to the event opening by both Barlens and the venue, EPIC. Barlens offer a test and tag service during Friday bump in hours, which you can book on their order form.
Rubbish Removal
EPIC provides skip bins outside Coorong for paper & cardboard, recycling, food waste etc. Please make sure that you put the right rubbish in the right bin OR take it away with you. No other bins should be used by stallholders (including the bins inside the venue).
Access to Water
There is access to water in the kitchen located off the Coorong Pavilion. Please make sure you clean up any mess made in this area.
Origin of Products
It is a requirement of the market that you must make each of your own products. We understand that it’s not always possible to make each component of your product, if you’re sourcing your ingredients elsewhere, the idea, recipe and concept must be yours. We reserve the right to accept or reject products on a case by case basis.
Country of Origin Labelling for Seafood
Mandatory country of origin labelling for seafood is in effect as of 1 July 2026. This applies to market stalls, so if you sell any ready-to-eat products containing seafood, your menu /signage must indicate whether the seafood is Australian (A), imported (I), or a mix of both (M). Find out more here.
SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAN
Single Use Plastic Ban as of 1 July 2021, supplying or providing any of these prohibited single-use plastic products is banned in the ACT. The list includes, single-use plastic stirrers, cutlery and expanded polystyrene foam takeaway food and beverage containers, such as cups, plates, bowls and clamshell containers. For more information visit single use plastics FAQ’s. If you have a specific query send a photo with specifications of the product to sustainability@nra.net.au and they will advise you.