For makers and farms

Co-packers, shared kitchens and food business help in South 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.

23 businesses and programs in South Carolina that help small food makers and farms make, store and move product: 2 co-packers, 13 shared kitchens, 4 programs and official lists, and 4 cold storage companies, distributors, processors and suppliers.

2Co-packers
13Shared kitchens
4Programs and lists
23Listings in all

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

Programs and official lists in South 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.

Clemson Food2Market FAQ: SC Co-Packers and Shared-Use Kitchens
SC · clemson.edu
Lists SC co-packers and commercial or shared-use kitchens with contacts
SC Food Hub Networkproduce
SC · foodhubnetworksc.com · source
Network of established SC food hubs
Clemson Extension Food2Market
Clemson, SC · clemson.edu
Product testing, regulatory guidance and food safety workshops
SC ACRE (Agribusiness Center for Research and Entrepreneurship)
Columbia, SC · acre-sc.com · source
State agriculture department entrepreneurship and research program

Co-packers in South Carolina

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

DiscoverFresh Foodssaucessalsa
Easley, SC · source
Co-packing program for refrigerated dips, spreads and dressings
The Frogmore Bottling Company
St. Helena Island, SC · frogmorebottling.com · source
Bottling co-packer on St. Helena Island

Shared and commissary kitchens in South Carolina

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

110 North Shared Kitchen and Commissary
Anderson, SC · cityofandersonsc.com
City-run shared kitchen and commissary
Chester Regional Agribusiness Centerproduce
Chester, SC · source
Shared kitchen and food hub run by Catawba Farm and Food Coalition
DER Kitchenbaked goods
Columbia, SC · derkitchen.com · source
Rental commissary for bakers, caterers and food trucks
Fairplay Certified Canning and Processing Kitchenjams preservespickles ferments
Fair Play, SC · source
Community canning and processing kitchen
City Center Market Kitchen
Florence, SC · cityofflorencesc.gov · source
City-run commissary kitchen at the farmers market
Hour Kitchen (Greenville Professional Catering)
Greenville, SC · hourkitchengvl.com · source
Commercial kitchen rental facility
Old Mill Kitchen and Commissary
Greenville, SC · oldmillcafe518.com · source
Shared-use kitchens in Greenville and Mauldin
Imagine Kitchen
Greer, SC · imaginekitchen.com · source
24-hour rental kitchen with storage and refrigeration
Our Village Kitchens
Mount Pleasant, SC · ourvillagekitchens.com · source
Commercial kitchen rental
Apple Spice Kitchen
North Charleston, SC · source
Commercial kitchen rental
KO-OP Kitchen
Rock Hill, SC · source
Cooperative commercial kitchen rental
The Shield Commissary
Rock Hill, SC · source
Licensed commissary for food businesses and food trucks
Colleton Commercial Kitchen
Walterboro, SC · colletonkitchen.org · source
County-run food business incubator kitchen

Distributors and food hubs in South Carolina

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

Lowcountry Fresh Market and Cafeproduce
Bluffton, SC · lowcountryfresh.com · source
Market sourcing products made within 250 miles
GrowFood Carolinaproduce
Charleston, SC · coastalconservationleague.org · source
Nonprofit food hub, wholesale local produce since 2011
Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Groceryproducemeatdairy cheese
Greenville, SC · swamprabbitcafe.com · source
Local grocery and food hub buying from area farms
Gullah Farmers Cooperativeproduce
St. Helena Island, SC · source
Farmer cooperative food hub founded in 2010

Suppliers that ship to South 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.