For makers and farms

Co-packers, shared kitchens and food business help in District of Columbia

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.

5 businesses and programs in District of Columbia that help small food makers and farms make, store and move product: 0 co-packers, 3 shared kitchens, 1 program and official list, and 1 cold storage companies, distributors, processors and suppliers.

0Co-packers
3Shared kitchens
1Programs and lists
5Listings in all

Get listed Shops that carry small makers in District of Columbia

Programs and official lists in District of Columbia

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

EatsPlace
Washington, DC · eatsplace.com
Food-focused community lender with incubator kitchen and accelerator programs

Shared and commissary kitchens in District of Columbia

3 listed. Licensed kitchens you rent by the hour or month, often with storage and business help.

Mess Hall
Washington, DC · messhalldc.com · source
Culinary incubator offering commercial kitchen space in Edgewood
Tastemakers
Washington, DC · tastemakersdc.com · source
Shared commercial kitchen and culinary community in Northeast DC
Union Kitchengluten free
Washington, DC · unionkitchen.com
30,000 sq ft certified shared kitchen with partner accelerator

Distributors and food hubs in District of Columbia

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

Dreaming Out Loudproduce
Washington, DC · dreamingoutloud.org
Nonprofit food hub for area farmers; DREAM program for food entrepreneurs

Suppliers that ship to District of Columbia

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 If something here is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will fix it.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.