Every kitchen is a real, permitted home food business
Not an anonymous seller — a home cook Santa Clara County has cleared to make and sell food. Here’s exactly what the “County-verified” badge means.
Checked against the county’s records
MEHKO kitchens (hot, home-cooked meals) are matched against Santa Clara County’s published list of approved home-kitchen operators. Cottage-food bakers are reviewed against their county registration by hand. Either way, no valid permit means no selling on ForkFork.
A real health permit on file
Every kitchen holds a valid county permit — either a MEHKO permit (for hot, home-cooked meals) or a Cottage Food registration (for baked and shelf-stable goods). The same clearance a licensed home baker carries.
Reviewed by a person before going live
Someone on our team confirms the match and approves the kitchen before it can take a single order — no automatic approvals.
What that means for you: you’re ordering from a permitted kitchen with a real name and address on file and reviews from real orders — cleared by the county, backed by us. Not a stranger in a Facebook group.