For makers and farms

Co-packers, shared kitchens and food business help in Colorado

Q: Shared kitchen or co-packer: which do I need?

If you still make the product yourself, rent time in a licensed shared or commissary kitchen. When orders outgrow your own hands, a co-packer takes over production.

55 businesses and programs in Colorado that help small food makers and farms make, store and move product: 30 co-packers, 17 shared kitchens, 3 programs and official lists, and 5 cold storage companies, distributors, processors and suppliers.

30Co-packers
17Shared kitchens
3Programs and lists
55Listings in all

Get listed Colorado cottage food law Shops that carry small makers in Colorado

Programs and official lists in Colorado

3 listed. Start here. State and university programs that help food businesses with recipes, safety plans and licensing, and the public lists they keep.

Colorado Co-Pack Directory (Colorado Department of Agriculture)
CO · ag.colorado.gov
State directory of co-packers and rentable kitchen space
Naturally Colorado
Boulder, CO · naturallycolorado.org
Nonprofit trade community for natural products companies
CSU Spur Food Innovation Center
Denver, CO · agsci.colostate.edu
Product development, lab testing, shelf life, process authority letters

Co-packers in Colorado

30 listed. Contract manufacturers that make and pack your recipe in a licensed plant. Co-packers in Colorado has its own page.

The Spice Guydry mixes spiceshot saucesauces
Aurora, CO · thespiceguyco.com · source
Spices and acidified foods, 250 pound or 50 gallon minimums
Kim's Gourmet Saucessaucespickles fermentsdry mixes spicessmall batch
Castle Rock, CO · kimsgourmet.com · source
Sauces, dressings and condiments, 40 gallon minimum
Yumbanabaked goodsgluten freefrozen
Castle Rock, CO · yumbanashoppe.com · source
Dedicated gluten-free bakery, bars and frozen items
C Vision Foods
Colorado Springs, CO · visionfoodsllc.com · source
Listed in Colorado co-pack directory
Trisco Foodssaucesbeverages
Colorado Springs, CO · source
Shelf-stable sweet and savory liquids, short runs welcome
Basecamp Co-Packbaked goodssnacks granoladry mixes spices
Denver, CO · basecampcopack.com · source
Bakery, bars and powdered mixes, negotiable minimums
Culinairemeatfrozen
Denver, CO · culinairefoods.com · source
Prepared meats, sausage and frozen specialties
Freshies Food Corporationbeverageshot sauce
Denver, CO · freshies.com · source
Juices and cocktail mixes, small custom blend minimums
Landmark Foodsbeveragesdry mixes spicescoffee teahoney
Denver, CO · landmarkfoods.net · source
Beverage bottling and dry mix packing
Pressery (Verdaine)
Denver, CO · pressery.com · source
Listed in state co-pack directory, site now branded Verdaine
PRiMO Specialty Foodssaucesjams preservespickles fermentssmall batch
Denver, CO · yayprimo.com · source
Sauces, preserves and canned specialties, no minimum
Ready Foodssauces
Denver, CO · readyfoods.biz · source
Kettle-cooked soups, sauces, beans and dips
Rocky Mountain Spice Companydry mixes spicescoffee tea
Denver, CO · rockymountainspice.com · source
Custom spice blends, bakery mixes and tea, 5,000 unit minimum
Silver State Foodssaucesbeverages
Denver, CO · silverstatefoods.com · source
Sauces, dressings, juices and pasta products, 50 gallon minimum
Temptee Specialty Foodsmeatfrozen
Denver, CO · tempteeco.com · source
Fresh and frozen foods, meats and repacking
Western Innovationsconfections chocolatesnacks granolasaucesdry mixes spices
Denver, CO · source
Confections, snacks, sauces and spices, short runs welcome
Rocky Mountain Food Factorysaucesfrozenmeat
Englewood, CO · rockymtnfoodfactory.com · source
Refrigerated and frozen prepared foods, jarred sauces, 500 pound minimum
Burns and McCoy Sauce Companysauceshot saucepickles fermentsbeverages
Fort Collins, CO · burnsandmccoy.com · source
Sauces, dressings, syrups and juices, 50 gallon minimum
Scale Food Labssaucesbeveragesoils vinegarssmall batch
Golden, CO · scalefoodlabs.com · source
Sauces, beverages and canned goods, 5 gallon test batches
Leroux Creek Foodsproducepickles fermentssaucessalsa
Hotchkiss, CO · lerouxcreek.com · source
Applesauce, fruit purees, ferments and sauces, allergen-free plant
Motherlode Co-Packingsaucesbeverages
Longmont, CO · motherlodecopacking.com · source
Sauces, dressings, syrups, condiments and beverages
Skyway Foodsbaked goodsgluten freefrozen
Longmont, CO · skywayfood.com · source
Production space rental, co-packing, gluten-free baking, cold storage
Boulder Sausagemeat
Louisville, CO · bouldersausage.com · source
Sausage and prepared meats, 200 pound minimum
Awakened Food Crafterssnacks granolabaked goodsgluten free
Loveland, CO · awakenedfoodcrafters.com · source
Granola, cookies, nut mixes, puffs and popped chips
Custom Blendingdry mixes spicescoffee teasmall batch
Loveland, CO · source
Dry blends, baking mixes, spices and tea, 50 pound minimum
Wild Zora (Flatiron Food Factory)
Loveland, CO · wildzora.com · source
Snack brand factory listed in state co-pack directory
Boulder Organic Foodssaucesorganic certifiedgluten free
Niwot, CO · boulderorganicfoods.com · source
Kettle-cooked soups, sauces and dips, large annual minimum
Frangiosa Farmshoney
Parker, CO · frangiosafarms.com · source
Honey packing, 5,000 unit minimum
Fuel Kitchenssauceshot saucesalsajams preserves
Pueblo, CO · fuelkitchens.com · source
Sauces, salsas and jams, 100 gallon runs, also rents kitchen
Claremont Foodssnacks granolagluten freekosher
Westminster, CO · claremontfoods.com · source
Nutrition and protein bars, 50,000 bar minimum per SKU

Shared and commissary kitchens in Colorado

17 listed. Licensed kitchens you rent by the hour or month, often with storage and business help. Shared and commissary kitchens in Colorado has its own page.

Rocky Mountain Commissary
Arvada, CO · rmcommissary.com · source
Commissary kitchen space for packaged food producers
El Alba Cooperative
Aurora, CO · source
Cooperative shared kitchen with cold and dry storage
La Victoria Incubator Kitchen
Aurora, CO · source
Incubator with semi-private kitchens, one for baking
Mile High Commissary
Aurora, CO · milehighcommissary.com · source
Family-owned commissary with two kitchen areas, 24 hour access
Colorado Kitchen Sharegluten free
Boulder, CO · coloradokitchenshare.com · source
Shared kitchens in Boulder, Denver and Thornton
Salad Ground Kitchen Share
Boulder, CO · saladgroundkitchenshare.com · source
Kitchen space for rent, listed in state directory
Pikes Peak United Way Community Kitchen
Colorado Springs, CO · source
Community kitchen listed on The Kitchen Door
Denver Commissary
Denver, CO · denvercommissary.com · source
Commissary kitchen with prep space, parking and storage
Kitchen Networksaucesbeverages
Denver, CO · source
Private and commissary kitchens, also bottling from 100 gallons
Spindle Kitchenbaked goods
Denver, CO · spindlekitchen.com · source
Shared kitchen for bakers, caterers and food producers
Nourish Durango
Durango, CO · source
Rentable kitchen listed on The Kitchen Door
Old North Commissary Kitchen
Durango, CO · source
Commissary kitchen listed on The Kitchen Door
NoCo Kitchen
Fort Collins, CO · source
Shared kitchen listed on The Kitchen Door
Super Okay Commissary Kitchen
Fort Collins, CO · source
Commissary kitchen listed on The Kitchen Door
The Cozy Kitchen
Fort Collins, CO · source
Rentable kitchen listed on The Kitchen Door
Business Incubator Center Kitchen
Grand Junction, CO · gjincubator.org · source
Incubator kitchen at Grand Junction business incubator
Little Bird Commissary Kitchen
Gypsum, CO · source
Commissary kitchen in the Eagle Valley

Cold storage and fulfillment in Colorado

3 listed. Refrigerated and frozen warehousing, and companies that pick, pack and ship orders for food brands. Ask about minimums, since some mostly serve larger brands.

Diversified Transfer & Storagefrozen
Denver, CO · dtsb.com · source
Frozen, chilled and dry storage with regional distribution
FMG Denver
Denver, CO · fmgdenver.com · source
Warehousing, fulfillment and distribution, in refrigerated warehouse directory
Colorado Cold Connectfrozen
Fort Morgan, CO · coloradocoldconnect.com · source
Cold storage warehouse in northeast Colorado

Distributors and food hubs in Colorado

2 listed. Specialty, natural and local food distributors, and food hubs that aggregate from small producers.

Hearty Provisionsproduce
Denver, CO · heartyprovisions.com · source
Local food distribution to chefs, schools and institutions
Farm Runnersproducemeat
Hotchkiss, CO · farmrunners.com · source
Western Slope food hub delivering Colorado-grown products

Suppliers that ship to Colorado

Packaging, fulfillment and distribution are mostly national. See insulated boxes, gel packs and dry ice, jars, labels and boxes, cold storage and fulfillment and specialty food distributors. For the how-to, read how to start cold shipping and shipping supplies for food makers.

Get listed, or fix a listing

Co-packer, shared kitchen, packaging supplier, cold storage or distributor that works with small food makers and farms? Send the details and we will add you. Listings are free. If something here is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will fix it.

Software and setup for makers

Madeline's sets up the back office for small food makers and farms: inventory and lot tracking, shipping and cold chain, wholesale ordering, recipe costing and labels and more. See Artisanal Solutions, or sell on the Madeline's marketplace.

Questions

What is a co-packer?

A co-packer (contract packer) is a licensed food plant that makes and packs your product to your recipe. You own the brand and the recipe. They own the equipment, the inspections and the labor. Most ask for a minimum run, so call several and compare minimums, price per unit and what they will source for you.

Shared kitchen or co-packer: which do I need?

If you are still making it yourself, rent time in a shared or commissary kitchen. It is licensed, so you can sell beyond cottage food limits. When orders outgrow your own hands, a co-packer takes over production. Many makers use a kitchen for a year or two first.

Where does this list come from?

From public lists kept by state agriculture departments, university extension and food innovation centers, and from each business's own site. Listings that came from a public list link to that source. A listing is not an endorsement, so check licensing, insurance and minimums yourself.

How do I get listed or fix a listing?

Use the form on this page. Listings are free.

Sources: public lists from state agriculture departments, university extension and food innovation centers, and each business's own site. Listings are independent businesses and are not affiliated with Madeline's. A listing is not an endorsement.