For makers and farms

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

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.

9 businesses and programs in Louisiana that help small food makers and farms make, store and move product: 2 co-packers, 5 shared kitchens, 2 programs and official lists, and 0 cold storage companies, distributors, processors and suppliers.

2Co-packers
5Shared kitchens
2Programs and lists
9Listings in all

Get listed Shops that carry small makers in Louisiana

Programs and official lists in Louisiana

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

Certified Louisiana
Baton Rouge, LA · certifiedlouisiana.org
State ag department logo program for Louisiana-made products
LSU AgCenter Food Innovation Institute (FOODii)
Baton Rouge, LA · source
Food business incubator with technical services for food companies

Co-packers in Louisiana

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

Panola Pepper Corporationhot saucesaucesdry mixes spices
Lake Providence, LA · panolapepper.com
Hot sauce and sauce co-packing and private label
BEC Co-Packersbeveragesorganic certifiedkosher
Slidell, LA · beccopackers.com · source
Beverage co-packing in PET bottles with product development

Shared and commissary kitchens in Louisiana

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

Corner Kitchen
Lafayette, LA · source
Rentable kitchen listing on Jefferson Street
Ghost Chicken Commissary Kitchen
Lake Charles, LA · source
Commissary kitchen listing on Louisiana Avenue
Carrollton Commissary
New Orleans, LA · source
Commissary kitchen listing on Willow Street
Nolavore Commissary
New Orleans, LA · nolavore.net · source
Licensed shared commercial kitchen in Central City
The Church Kitchen
New Orleans, LA · source
Rentable kitchen listing on St. Claude Avenue

Suppliers that ship to Louisiana

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.