For makers and farms

Co-packers, shared kitchens and food business help in North Carolina

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.

34 businesses and programs in North Carolina that help small food makers and farms make, store and move product: 10 co-packers, 16 shared kitchens, 4 programs and official lists, and 4 cold storage companies, distributors, processors and suppliers.

10Co-packers
16Shared kitchens
4Programs and lists
34Listings in all

Get listed North Carolina cottage food law Shops that carry small makers in North Carolina

Programs and official lists in North Carolina

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

CEFS Hubs and Kitchens Directory
NC · cefs.ncsu.edu
2017 directory of NC food hubs, community kitchens and co-packers
NC State Extension Food Business: Other Services and Supplies
NC · foodbusiness.ces.ncsu.edu
Lists NC co-packers, shared kitchens, labs and packaging suppliers
NC Food Innovation Lab
Kannapolis, NC · ncfoodinnovationlab.org · source
Pilot plant and product development, plant-based food focus
NC State Entrepreneur Initiative for Food (EI4F)
Raleigh, NC · foodbusiness.ces.ncsu.edu
Product testing, process review and regulatory help for food startups

Co-packers in North Carolina

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

TVS (Transylvania Vocational Services)dry mixes spices
Brevard, NC · tvsinc.org · source
Nonprofit contract food blending and packaging
Firehouse Bottling Companyhot saucesaucessalsadry mixes spices
Candler, NC · firehousebottling.com · source
Co-packing and private label sauces, salsas and dry rubs
C2 Bottling
Charlotte, NC · source
Bottling co-packer listed by NC State Extension
D'Vine Foodsjams preservespickles fermentssauces
Elizabethtown, NC · dvinefoods.com · source
Co-packing and wholesale of jarred foods
Carolina CoPackingsaucesdry mixes spices
Henderson, NC · carolinacopacking.com · source
Sauces, dressings, spices and rubs; startups accepted
Blue Ridge Jamsjams preservessmall batch
Hendersonville, NC · blueridgejam.com · source
Small-batch jams, jellies and preserves, wholesale only
Big Boss Baking Companysnacks granola
High Point, NC · granolacopacker.com · source
Granola and trail mix co-packing and private label
Bobbees Bottlingsauces
Louisburg, NC · bobbeesbottling.com · source
Co-packer since 1987, began as honey bottler
FirstWave Innovations
Middlesex, NC · firstwavenc.com · source
Aseptic and hot-fill contract manufacturing
Golding Farms Foodssauces
Winston-Salem, NC · goldingblends.com · source
Contract and private-brand sauces, condiments and dressings

Shared and commissary kitchens in North Carolina

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

Blue Ridge Food Venturessaucesbeveragessmall batch
Candler, NC · blueridgefoodventures.org · source
Shared-use processing kitchen with co-packing services
Brookshire Commissary Kitchen Rentalgluten free
Charlotte, NC · source
24/7 access, USDA-certified room, allergen-friendly areas
Carolina Commercial Kitchen
Charlotte, NC · carolinacommercialkitchen.net · source
Licensed shared commissary kitchen
The City Kitch
Charlotte, NC · thecitykitch.com · source
Shared and private kitchens; also in Greensboro
The Cookery
Durham, NC · durhamcookery.com · source
Rentable commercial kitchen inside an event venue
Out of the Garden Project Shared-Use Kitchen
Greensboro, NC · source
Nonprofit shared-use kitchen at the Nussbaum Center
Piedmont Food Processing Center
Hillsborough, NC · pfapnc.org · source
Four kitchens, cold and dry storage, business support
Short Street Gastro Lab
Kernersville, NC · source
Rentable commercial kitchen
Cape Fear Commissary
Leland, NC · source
Commissary kitchen rental
Madison County Value Added Kitchen
Marshall, NC · source
County kitchen with cold and dry storage
2 Rivers Kitchen
Mayodan, NC · source
Rentable commercial kitchen
HUBB Kitchens
Raleigh, NC · source
Shared kitchen and culinary incubator, hourly rentals
The Cook House
Raleigh, NC · source
Family-owned shared kitchen with cooler, freezer and dry storage
The Prep Kitch'n
Richlands, NC · source
Eastern NC rental kitchen, food truck friendly
Working Landscapes Main Street Kitchenproduce
Warrenton, NC · workinglandscapesnc.org · source
Nonprofit shared kitchen and produce processing food hub
Out of the Weeds Commissary Kitchen
Wilmington, NC · source
Downtown commissary with cold and dry storage

Distributors and food hubs in North Carolina

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

High Country Food Hubproducemeat
Boone, NC · highcountryfoodhub.org · source
Year-round online farmers market and aggregation hub
Feast Down Eastproduce
Burgaw, NC · feastdowneast.org · source
Nonprofit food hub for southeastern NC farms
TRACTOR Food and Farmsproduce
Burnsville, NC · tractorfoodandfarms.com · source
Nonprofit food hub, wholesale and CSA for western NC farms
Farmer Foodshareproduce
Durham, NC · farmerfoodshare.org · source
Nonprofit wholesale market for local farm products

Suppliers that ship to North Carolina

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.