Thanks to a Hazel Dell woman, something new's cooking in Clark County, Washington kitchens. Felicia Hill's son has a life-threatening peanut allergy, so when she couldn't find a bakery to guarantee a safe birthday cake for him, she made her own.
Hill took cake decorating classes and started experimenting with recipes for peanut, gluten and dairy free cakes. Soon, she was baking them for close friends and families. Her creative and colorful concoctions were so popular that she decided to try to make a little money on the side by selling them.
However, she found that in Washington state, you can legally give away food items, but you can't sell them without a commercial license. But the cost of retrofitting the family's kitchen, and getting the necessary licensing would have cost at least $40,000. Hill decided that her expected annual sales income didn't justify the initial investment costs.
So, Felicia Hill went to Olympia where law makers were debating a bill to allow small-scale bakers to sell goods they make at home. And, based in part on her testimony, the bill's original profit cap of $5,000 a year, was raised to $15,000. Naturally, home-based bakers will have to comply with local zoning laws and only baked goods, jams, jellies, preserves and fruit butters can be made in a non-commercial kitchen.
If you've been considering the idea of making and selling baked goods out of your home, it just got a lot easier. The new law may not go into effect for another four to six months as it still needs to go through full review and the implementation process. But, thanks to Felicia Hill of Hazel Dell, something new is bound to be cooking soon in Clark County kitchens.
Are you looking for a house with a great kitchen in Clark County, Washington? I've got a few ideas. Let's get started now.
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