For makers and farms

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

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.

28 businesses and programs in Virginia that help small food makers and farms make, store and move product: 4 co-packers, 19 shared kitchens, 3 programs and official lists, and 2 cold storage companies, distributors, processors and suppliers.

4Co-packers
19Shared kitchens
3Programs and lists
28Listings in all

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

Programs and official lists in Virginia

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

Virginia's Finest (VDACS)
VA · vafinest.vdacs.virginia.gov · source
State program directory of Virginia specialty food and beverage producers
Virginia Tech Food Innovations Programpickles fermentssauces
Blacksburg, VA · ext.vt.edu · source
Acidified food process authority, product testing and nutrition labels
Virginia FAIRS
Richmond, VA · vafairs.com
Foundation giving technical assistance to value-added agriculture businesses

Co-packers in Virginia

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

Southern Flavoring Companydry mixes spices
Bedford, VA · southernflavoring.com
Extracts and flavorings; white label, contract packaging, private label
Virginia Food Workssaucesjams preservespickles fermentssmall batch
Farmville, VA · virginiafoodworks.org
Nonprofit small batch co-packing and rental cannery for acidified products
Old Mansion Foodsdry mixes spicescoffee tea
Petersburg, VA · oldmansion.com
Wholesale spices, custom blends and private labeling
Ashburn Sauce Companysaucesbeverages
Virginia Beach, VA · ashburnsauce.com
Sauce and mix maker offering custom manufacturing and co-packing

Shared and commissary kitchens in Virginia

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

Kitchen of Purpose
Arlington, VA · kitchenofpurpose.org · source
Nonprofit shared kitchen with small business incubator program
Millstone Kitchen
Blacksburg, VA · source
Shared-use commercial kitchen rented hourly with 24/7 access
Virginia Innovation Accelerator Kitchen
Buena Vista, VA · acceleratevirginia.com · source
Shared kitchen for food manufacturers, caterers and food trucks
BEACON Kitchen (New Hill Development)
Charlottesville, VA · newhilldev.org · source
11,000 sq ft licensed kitchen with 14 workstations
Bread and Roses Community Kitchen
Charlottesville, VA · source
Community kitchen listed for food business rental
The Honeycomb Kitchenbaked goods
Franklin, VA · source
Licensed shared-use kitchen for caterers, bakers and meal prep
Woodside Farms Commissary Kitchen
Glen Allen, VA · source
Health department inspected commissary with membership access
Phantom Junction Kitchen
Lanexa, VA · source
Commissary kitchen near Williamsburg for food trucks and caterers
ChefScape
Leesburg, VA · chefscapekitchen.com · source
Food and beverage incubator with shared kitchens and storage
Frontier Kitchen
Lorton, VA · frontier-kitchen.com · source
Food business incubator with kitchens in Lorton and Chantilly
My Commissary Kitchen
Norfolk, VA · mycommissarykitchen.com · source
Certified commercial kitchen for food trucks and caterers
Expo Kitchenbaked goods
Portsmouth, VA · expokitchenspace.com · source
1,500 sq ft shared commissary; memberships or one-time rentals
Carver Food Enterprise Center
Rapidan, VA · gwcfec.org · source
Nonprofit shared kitchen for food incubation and value-added production
Commonwealth Autism TowneBank Community Kitchen
Richmond, VA · commonwealthautism.org · source
Shared-use licensed kitchen for market vendors and makers; waitlist
Hatch Kitchen
Richmond, VA · hatchrichmond.com · source
Kitchen for growing food brands; sister logistics warehousing service
LEAP Kitchen
Roanoke, VA · leapforlocalfood.org
Nonprofit with shared kitchen, food hub and farmers markets
Rooted Kitchen Collective
Roanoke, VA · rootedkitchencollective.com · source
Membership shared kitchen with tiered hours
Mayflower Kitchensbaked goods
Virginia Beach, VA · kitchenrental.net · source
Commercial kitchen rental for bakers, food trucks and sauce makers
Cristina's Commissary
Winchester, VA · cristinascommissary.com · source
Shared-use commissary kitchen with food truck parking

Cold storage and fulfillment in Virginia

1 listed. Refrigerated and frozen warehousing, and companies that pick, pack and ship orders for food brands. Ask about minimums, since some mostly serve larger brands.

InterChange
Mount Crawford, VA · interchangeco.com
Virginia food grade warehousing, cold storage and 3PL

Distributors and food hubs in Virginia

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

Cavalier Produceproducedairy cheese
Louisa, VA · cavalierproduce.com
Produce distributor that also carries Virginia farm and vendor products

Suppliers that ship to Virginia

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.