Bateman Lauds Decision that Will Allow NJ Home Bakers to Cash in On Fresh Treats

Since 2009 when he first introduced legislation that would allow state residents to legally sell cookies and cupcakes they made at home, Senator Kip Bateman has been a vocal advocate for home bakers with an entrepreneurial dream.

This week, Bateman joined home bakers across the state welcoming news that New Jersey will no longer be the only state in the nation prohibiting the sale of home-made baked goods for profit.

“It has been an exhausting, frustrating fight that should never have taken this long, but the battle is over and home bakers will soon be able to get down to business doing what they love,” said Bateman. “I know victory is sweet for my friends at the New Jersey Home Bakers Association, and dozens of other stay-at-home parents who would like nothing more than to cash in on their cookies and cupcakes.”

The long frustration with New Jersey’s lack of a “cottage law” allowing for the sale of homemade food items came to an end this week when a health department ruling lifting the prohibition was approved by the Public Health Council.

Before the fresh baked cookies can go on sale, the ruling must be published in the New Jersey Office of Administrative Law, a formality that could happen as early as September.

“This is great news for so many people who want to make their bread, cakes and pies and earn some money working from home,” said Bateman. “Finally, they are going to get their chance, and for some with sweet dreams, this could be the start of a new business venture that could soon out-grow the kitchen and move into commercial facilities.”

The Senator’s most recent legislative effort to unshackle bakers, S-73, was approved by the Senate, 39-0, amid the pandemic in July 2020.