For makers and farms

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

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.

26 businesses and programs in Kansas that help small food makers and farms make, store and move product: 2 co-packers, 20 shared kitchens, 4 programs and official lists, and 0 cold storage companies, distributors, processors and suppliers.

2Co-packers
20Shared kitchens
4Programs and lists
26Listings in all

Get listed Shops that carry small makers in Kansas

Programs and official lists in Kansas

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

Kansas Incubator Kitchens: List of Available Kitchens and Resources (Kansas Department of Agriculture)
KS · agriculture.ks.gov
State list of rentable incubator kitchens with rates and equipment
From the Land of Kansas
Manhattan, KS · agriculture.ks.gov · source
State trademark and marketing program for Kansas food makers
Kansas Value Added Foods Lab (K-State)
Manhattan, KS · extension.k-state.edu
Process authority for acidified foods, testing, shelf life, nutrition labels
K-State Olathe Food Innovation Acceleratorsmall batch
Olathe, KS · olathe.k-state.edu · source
Rentable production kitchens with product development support

Co-packers in Kansas

2 listed. Contract manufacturers that make and pack your recipe in a licensed plant.

Grandma Hoerner's Foodsjams preservessaucesorganic certifiedsmall batch
Alma, KS · grandmahoerners.com
Private label thermal processed fruit products and sauces
Spicin Foodshot saucesaucessalsa
Kansas City, KS · spicinfoods.com
Co-packing and private label hot sauces, salsas, BBQ sauces

Shared and commissary kitchens in Kansas

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

Bushton Plaza Incubator Kitchen
Bushton, KS · source
1,420 sq ft incubator kitchen with tilt skillet
Caldwell Cooks
Caldwell, KS · source
City-run kitchen, resident and non-resident day rates
The Blonde Grill
Coldwater, KS · source
600 sq ft kitchen with commercial range and refrigeration
The Dealership Building
Council Grove, KS · source
Small kitchen with gas ovens and 30 quart mixer
Dover Community Kitchen
Dover, KS · dovercommunitycenter.com · source
Community center kitchen with half and full day rates
The Culinary Incubator at Elk Plaza
Hanston, KS · source
County-run incubator kitchen in former high school
Harper County Education Center
Harper, KS · source
Kitchen with walk-in cooler, mixers and canners
Glacial Hills Food Centerjams preservespickles ferments
Horton, KS · ghfoodcenter.com · source
Hourly kitchen with steam kettle, canners, vacuum sealing, storage
Food Truck Central KC
Kansas City, KS · foodtruckcentralkc.com · source
24-hour commissary kitchen with hourly rates and storage
Culinary Commons Incubator Kitchensmall batch
Lawrence, KS · dgcoks.gov · source
County fairgrounds incubator kitchen, half and full day rates
Next to Nature Farmhoneyjams preserves
Leavenworth, KS · nexttonaturefarm.com · source
Farm kitchen rented hourly; canning equipment available
Fresh Out Foodsbaked goods
Lenexa, KS · source
Hourly kitchen with ovens, dough sheeter, pie press, sealers
McCune Farm to Market
McCune, KS · source
Hourly kitchen with fryer, griddle, convection ovens
JOCO Commissary
Olathe, KS · source
Commissary with smoker, tilt skillet, walk-in cooler and freezer
Graber Mercantile Prairie Kitchenjams preserves
Pretty Prairie, KS · source
Ten-burner range, pressure cookers and canning pots
Stafford County Commercial Kitchen
St. John, KS · source
Small kitchen with canning equipment, half and full day rates
305 LLC
Topeka, KS · source
Small day-rate kitchen; no hood or frying
Emerald City Foods
Toronto, KS · source
500 sq ft kitchen rented per night
Waterville Community Kitchen
Waterville, KS · source
Community center kitchen; no hood for frying
The Shared Kitchen
Wichita, KS · thesharedkitchenict.com · source
2,000 sq ft kitchen, hourly tiers on three-month contracts

Suppliers that ship to Kansas

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.