Starting a delivery brand in London: what month one actually costs

You can launch a single delivery brand for under 12,000 pounds in London. You can also burn 40,000 pounds in the same month and have the same brand on the apps at the end of it.

The variance is mostly equipment, and most of the equipment is optional in month one.

This is the month-one budget we walk new operators through. Numbers reflect Q2 2026 supplier quotes and the rent on our two currently available Fulham units.

Fixed costs (the room)

Rent on a small London commercial kitchen unit currently runs from about 2,000 to 3,500 pounds per month for a self-contained 18 to 33 square metre space, before utilities. Our two available units sit in that range. KCN 7, electric only, is 2,000 plus a 500 services charge. KCN 5, gas and electric, is 2,750 plus the same 500.

Most contracts ask for a deposit. Two months is standard. So month-one cash out includes one month rent plus services (about 2,500 pounds), plus the same again as deposit (2,500 pounds), plus a holding deposit on application (often 500 pounds, refunded against month one).

On the rent and deposit alone you are looking at roughly 5,000 pounds in month one. That number is the floor.

Equipment (the kit)

A working delivery kitchen for one cuisine needs a six-burner range, an oven (under-counter or freestanding), a small fryer, a refrigerated prep counter, a hand sink soap dispenser, a metal shelving unit, and a small selection of pans and prep ware.

Bought new from a UK supplier, the catering equipment will run 6,000 to 8,000 pounds. Bought second-hand from a closing restaurant or a clearance auction, the same kit can come in under 3,000.

The most common mistake in month one is buying new without checking the auction market. Restaurants close every week. Equipment that is two years old often sells at 30 percent of new. We have seen operators kit out a complete unit for 2,500 pounds in equipment by buying carefully over three to four weeks.

Packaging and consumables

Plan for an opening packaging order of about 800 pounds. That covers approximately 1,000 main containers, 500 sides, 200 drinks cups, plus cutlery, napkins, branded labels, and bags.

A first food order, depending on cuisine, runs 600 to 1,500 pounds. Higher for protein-heavy menus, lower for vegetarian.

Cleaning chemicals, blue roll, gloves, sanitiser, the small things that compound, will be 200 pounds at start.

Setup costs and platform onboarding

Each delivery platform asks for documentation before you go live. Food business registration is free and takes 24 to 48 hours through your local council. A food hygiene course (Level 2) costs about 25 pounds online and is required for at least one person on site.

Food safety management documentation (your HACCP) costs nothing if you write it yourself. About 200 to 400 pounds if a consultant writes it.

Public liability insurance for a small operator runs 30 to 50 pounds per month. Annual cost can be paid up front for a discount.

A printer for the delivery apps and a tablet to run them on, if not bought through the platforms themselves, will be about 300 pounds.

Marketing in month one

On the platforms, the answer is to spend nothing.

Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat all run promotions on new restaurants automatically in the first 30 to 60 days. You will be in their "new on the platform" carousels. Paid in-app marketing in month one is rarely worth it because organic visibility is at its peak.

Spend instead on photography. Good food photography increases conversion by 20 to 30 percent on the apps (Deliveroo merchant data, 2023). Budget 400 to 800 pounds for a half-day shoot covering 12 to 15 dishes.

What you do not need in month one

A second prep fridge. A second cuisine. A POS system separate from the platform tablets. A van. A part-time staff member. Branded uniforms.

Most of these become useful once you cross 80 to 100 orders per day. Buying them earlier locks up cash that is more usefully held as a buffer for slow weeks.

A working month-one cash plan

Set aside the rent and deposit first. Treat that as untouchable.

Spend on equipment in two passes: a minimum-viable kit in week one (range, fryer, prep counter, basic shelving), and a top-up in week three only after you have done a few real services and identified what is actually missing.

Hold a contingency of at least 1,500 pounds in cash for the small surprises: a bigger gas bottle deposit than expected, a packaging supplier who only takes pro-forma payment for the first order, an emergency fridge engineer, a printer ribbon you forgot.

Operators who plan around a 12,000 pound month-one ceiling and end up spending 14,000 are normal. Operators who plan around 8,000 and end up at 18,000 are the ones who run out of cash in month three.