For makers and farms

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

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.

25 businesses and programs in Illinois that help small food makers and farms make, store and move product: 6 co-packers, 10 shared kitchens, 2 programs and official lists, and 7 cold storage companies, distributors, processors and suppliers.

6Co-packers
10Shared kitchens
2Programs and lists
25Listings in all

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

Programs and official lists in Illinois

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

Illinois Food Systems Hub: Market Opportunities (Illinois Extension)produce
IL · extension.illinois.edu
Extension list of local food aggregators and buyers seeking Illinois products
Institute for Food Safety and Health (Illinois Tech)
Bedford Park, IL · iit.edu
Food safety research, process validation and pilot plant services

Co-packers in Illinois

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

Kuntry Kettlesalsasaucesjams preservessmall batch
Ava, IL · kuntrykettle.com · source
Acidified and hot-pack canning: salsa, pasta sauce, jam, apple butter
Dutch American Foodsdry mixes spices
Beecher, IL · dutchamericanfoods.com · source
Dry food blending and packaging, bag-in-carton
Harvest Food Groupfrozenproducesauces
Chicago, IL · harvestfoodgroup.com · source
Frozen fruits, vegetables, entrees, meal kits and sauce packing
National Foodworks Servicesbaked goodssnacks granolafrozen
Decatur, IL · nationalfoodworks.com · source
Bars, cookie dough, cookies and brownies; kitchen space too
Paxton Packingmeatsnacks granola
Paxton, IL · paxtonpacking.com · source
Jerky co-packing and private label, 2,000 lb minimum
Turasky Meatsmeat
Springfield, IL · turaskymeats.com · source
Jerky, snack sticks, meat bars, sausage and patties

Shared and commissary kitchens in Illinois

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

Entree Kitchen
Carol Stream, IL · entreekitchen.com · source
Rentable commercial kitchen in DuPage County
Kitchen Chicago
Chicago, IL · kitchenchicago.com · source
Shared-use commercial kitchen rental
The Hatchery Chicago
Chicago, IL · thehatcherychicago.org
Nonprofit food business incubator with shared and private kitchens
Dream Kitchen at Dream Hall
Elgin, IL · dreamhallco.com · source
Membership kitchen inside Dream Hall
Share A Kitchen
Elk Grove Village, IL · shareakitchen.com · source
Hourly rental of three state-certified kitchens
Now We're Cookin'
Evanston, IL · nwcookin.com · source
Shared kitchen and food business incubator
The Kitchen Project+
Highland, IL · source
Commissary kitchen in the Metro East area
Poppin Plates Culinary Incubator
Lynwood, IL · source
Culinary incubator kitchen in the south suburbs
Atrevete Collaborative Kitchen Companybaked goods
Montgomery, IL · ackitchenco.com · source
Incubator kitchen with storage and bakery space
MyKitchens LLC
Schiller Park, IL · mykitchensllc.com · source
Shared commercial kitchen serving the Chicago area

Distributors and food hubs in Illinois

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

The Common Market Great Lakesproduce
Bedford Park, IL · thecommonmarket.org · source
Nonprofit regional distributor of local food to institutions
Farm Family Foodsproduce
Benson, IL · farmfamilyfoods.com · source
Online food hub with weekly orders in Central Illinois
LEAF Food Hubproduce
Carbondale, IL · leaffoodhub.com
Southern Illinois online food hub for local farms
Down at the Farmsproduce
Fairbury, IL · source
Farmer-run food hub with satellite hubs in Central Illinois
The Farms of Illinoisproduceorganic certified
Jacksonville, IL · thefarmsil.com · source
Farmer collective offering home delivery and wholesale
Valley Fresh Harvestproduce
Ladd, IL · valleyfreshharvest.com · source
Online farmers market sourcing from 60+ farm families
Kakadoodleproduce
Matteson, IL · kakadoodle.com · source
Online farmers market and home delivery from 30+ local producers

Suppliers that ship to Illinois

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.