Home kitchens are among the fastest-growing parts of Pakistan’s food business, and among the easiest to start badly — usually by underpricing, which turns a promising side income into unpaid work at scale.
This covers the legal side, the pricing, and the order channels, in the order they will matter to you.
Yes, the rules apply to you
Selling food to the public from home is still selling food to the public. The provincial food authorities have been explicit that home-based food businesses fall within their scope, and several run a lighter registration path for small home operations.
- Register with the food authority for your province — the PFA in Punjab, SFA in Sindh, and their counterparts elsewhere.
- Get an NTN from the FBR once your annual income passes the filing threshold.
- Medical fitness certificates for anyone handling the food, including family members helping out.
Price it properly, or it is a hobby
The most common mistake is pricing off ingredient cost alone. That produces a number that feels competitive and pays you nothing for the eight hours you spent cooking.
- Cost the ingredients for one portion, precisely. Weigh things once; guessing is always low.
- Add packaging — box, bag, cutlery, sticker, tape. It is usually Rs 30–60 a portion and it is invisible until you total it.
- Add gas and electricity for the cooking time.
- Add YOUR time at a real hourly rate. If you would not do the work for that, the price is wrong.
- Add delivery cost if you are paying a rider.
- Then add a margin — 25–35% over the whole of the above, not over the ingredients.
If the resulting price is not competitive, the answer is a different dish, a larger batch or a smaller portion — not a smaller margin. Cooking for free is not a growth strategy.
Taking orders: the honest comparison
There are three realistic channels when you start, and the right one depends almost entirely on how much you are selling.
| Channel | Cost | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp and Instagram | Free | Starting out. Most home kitchens begin here and should |
| Commission platform | A listing fee plus a percentage of each order | Low volume — a percentage of a small number is a small number |
| Flat-fee platform | A fixed monthly subscription, nothing per order | Once monthly sales pass roughly Rs 18,000–20,000 |
What actually grows a home kitchen
- Photographs. One good photo per dish, taken near a window on a plain surface, outperforms every other marketing decision you will make.
- A short menu. Six things you cook excellently beats twenty you cook adequately, and it keeps your prep sane.
- Fixed cooking days. "Biryani on Fridays" is easier to sell and to buy than "available anytime".
- Cut-off times. Orders by 6pm for next-day delivery protects your evening and your quality.
- Repeat customers. A note in the bag asking them to order directly next time is the cheapest marketing there is.
Delivery
Most home kitchens start by delivering themselves or using a family member, then move to a hired rider or a per-delivery service as volume grows. Charge for it separately and honestly — a delivery fee that covers the cost is far better than a "free delivery" that quietly comes out of the food margin.
If you use a platform that takes a commission, remember it is usually charged on the delivery fee as well as the food, so "free delivery" is more expensive than it looks.
Common questions
Do I need a licence to sell home-cooked food in Pakistan?
Yes. The provincial food authorities cover home-based food businesses. Register with the authority for your province — the Punjab Food Authority, Sindh Food Authority, or their counterparts — and ask which category applies to a home kitchen.
How much can a home chef earn in Pakistan?
It varies enormously with volume and pricing. The limiting factor is usually not demand but pricing: home kitchens that cost only their ingredients often work full days for no real margin. Price against ingredients, packaging, fuel, your time and delivery, then add 25–35%.
What is the cheapest way for a home kitchen to take orders?
WhatsApp and Instagram cost nothing and are where most home kitchens should start. Once monthly sales pass roughly Rs 18,000–20,000, a flat-fee platform costs less than a commission; below that a commission model is cheaper.
Do I need an NTN for a home food business?
You need to register with the FBR once your annual income passes the filing threshold. Most delivery platforms will also ask for an NTN.
How should I price home-cooked food for delivery?
Cost ingredients per portion, add packaging, add fuel, add your own time at a real hourly rate, add delivery cost, then add a 25–35% margin on the total. Pricing off ingredients alone is the most common reason a home kitchen makes no money.