When deciding whether to sell food on Shef, it's important for you to understand the laws in your city and state. As a marketplace, we do not provide legal advice, but we want to provide useful links and information that may help you better understand laws and regulations in Tennessee. This list is not exhaustive and there may be additional requirements or considerations based on your individual circumstances.

In 2022, Tennessee enacted HB813 which replaced their previous cottage food law. Now, Tennesseeans can prepare any non-potentially hazardous food (defined as food that does not require time or temperature control for safety to limit the rapid and progressive growth of infectious or toxigenic microorganisms, including categories of foods in Rules of Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Rule 0080-04-09-.01 (116); from their home and sell it. More information from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture can be found here.

Sellers are required to follow all state and local rules. If you would like to sell food items that are not covered by these laws, you are required to cook out of a commercial kitchen or other legal facility.

If you determine you need commercial kitchen space based on the regulations in your jurisdiction and your menu, there are many spaces for rent, including but not limited to a list we maintain here. If you need additional referrals, please email help@shef.com. Please note, we can't verify whether our referrals will meet your specific needs so be sure to do your own diligence before partnering with any location.

Maintaining the safety of the Shef community is our number one priority. All shefs are required to pass an accredited food safety certification exam and must maintain minimum quality ratings. More information on food safety certifications can be found here.