I may have found a co-packer

[chuk hell]

:onfire:

I meet with them tomorrow.

:cheers:

[POTAWIE]

Good luck chuk

[DevilDuck]

I have a laundry list to ask the guy I found. I really need to get this moving.

...and Good Luck!!

[imaguitargod]

May the force be with you, Chuk!

[marcosauces]

Good luck Chuck...make sure that they do a "test run" for you.

[HotSauceGoonie]

:onfire:

I meet with them tomorrow.

:cheers:

Is this going to be like collective bargaining? hehe

[dreamtheatervt]

Good luck, hopefully they can provide you with the service you need. Also, it means new products to try.

[DEFCON Creator]

Go for it Chuk!

[kato]

Congratulations Chuk. Let us know when you manufactuer your sauce.
Kato's is always on the lookout for new fiery products.

Mick
Kato's

[chuk hell]

Well, the road ahead is a little more clear now. Much work to do.

I think they may be able to do it...but I also think they are new to co-packing though they have been making their own products for quite a few years. This may be a learning expeience for both parties.

[Cap'n Bones]

Best wishes Chuk!
I think that using an established manufacturer that's new to co-packing, could be a really good opportunity. Just remember to CYA with your recipe.

[BigDawg]

Hey Chuk, good luck in your search for a co-packer, we think about it every now and then since we are up to making about 50 cases of salsa by hand each week, but then we refocus on our goal keeping in control of everything, looking at being able to be a co-packer for the up and coming small companies out there who can't afford outragest start up cost or high minimum case quantities in the future. New kitchen in the plans right now. Like I said, good luck and if you have any questions let us know. As you probably noticed ... my first post, enjoyed reading all the info. thought I would join in.

[chuk hell]

Hey Chuk, good luck in your search for a co-packer, we think about it every now and then since we are up to making about 50 cases of salsa by hand each week, but then we refocus on our goal keeping in control of everything, looking at being able to be a co-packer for the up and coming small companies out there who can't afford outragest start up cost or high minimum case quantities in the future. New kitchen in the plans right now. Like I said, good luck and if you have any questions let us know. As you probably noticed ... my first post, enjoyed reading all the info. thought I would join in.

Welcome to the forum!

Thanks for the good luck wishes! Let's keep in touch. It sounds like you have exciting plans for the future!

[Cap'n Bones]

Welcome Aboard The Hot Pepper Big Dawg! Take a run over to the Welcome thread and tell the folks a little about yerself.

[BigDawg]

Thanks Cap'n Bones...I'll head over there now.

[Arizona Jack]

We will learn along together my friend. We also are in process, our delima (sic) is we want to supply our own favorite mash, not the cheapo mash that most copackers use. A superior mash makes a superior product. Dont fight the salt war, Captn Bones can steer you in the right mash direction.
Dont get talked into ingredient short-cuts, be there for the 1st cpl kettle runs, and learn the process from start to finish, big batch style. If you can get 5 gallons right at home, your pretty much there, but dont take a 2 blender pitcher recipe and just do the math for large batch, that was our 1st mistake.
Also, labeling, fitments, shrink bands all add to the price. Do your homework and be sure that you can actually sell at a profit. Is the demand there? Otherwise, a good 24 quart kettle in a rented kitchen will help keep cost down until you develop demand for the large batches.
:mouthonfire:

[marcosauces]

red savina mash..??....i'll be the gunea pig if you want..:)

[thehotpepper.com]

Go Chuk Go!

[DevilDuck]

Go Chuk Go!

No kidding... Tear it up!!! :hell:

After chrunching the numbers with my wife, looks like the whole co-packer thing isn't gunna make it profitable for me. That's entirely ok, I like cooking my sauce...and I have a small commercial kitchen I can rent.

Now---where'd I put that list of suppliers?

[Blue's]

No kidding... Tear it up!!! :hell:

After chrunching the numbers with my wife, looks like the whole co-packer thing isn't gunna make it profitable for me. That's entirely ok, I like cooking my sauce...and I have a small commercial kitchen I can rent.

Now---where'd I put that list of suppliers?

Hey DD:

My co-packer actually can do my sauce cheaper than I can out of the house. That has been the case for most sauce folks. Try re-crunching the numbers or have the co-packer break the costs down for you. If I can help, I'd be glad to.

Blue's
www.bluesbbq.net

[Uncle Big]

Hey DD:

My co-packer actually can do my sauce cheaper than I can out of the house. That has been the case for most sauce folks. Try re-crunching the numbers or have the co-packer break the costs down for you. If I can help, I'd be glad to.

Blue's
www.bluesbbq.net

I gotta go with Blue's on this one.
You have to consider your time in all of this as well.
We used to do hand made batches out of a rented commercial kitchen, after my wife and I got home from work, and honestly the time involved in cooking, bottling, labelling, etc was far more costly than having a copacker working for you.
We were lucky to have Canada's biggest and best sauce maker, Hatari Bros., right in our back yard. Sam Shivji, from Hatari was able to take our recipes and make them even better and more cost effective for us.
Copackers get volume discounts on bottles, ingredients and not to mention they take the sweat equity out of the process to a large degree.
Don't get me wrong, the first year saw me sneaking out of work whenever possible to check on our marination batches and to oversee the bottling.
Eventually the trust factor grew and thanks to Hatari Bros., we took our business to a whole new level.
My wife and I work for ourselves now and we have opened our own retail store here in Saskatoon and are in the business that we love, Fiery Foods.
I would check your numbers again and include the sweat equity in your calculations this time. You can still play mad scientist and create your own recipes, your R&D so to speak, but when it comes down to the actual bottling, labelling and such, for us a copacker was the way to go.
That's my 2 cents.

[marcosauces]

Ya DD, co-packer are definitely cheaper then doing it yourself...check more co-packers, you might just have found an expensive one..:)

[rfitz301]

Being very new to this business myself, I have found a co-packer in Virginia Beach, VA who will produce and bottle my sauce cheaper than I can in my kitchen. Ashman Manufacturing. Btw, my sauce is called 301 Hot Sauce. My webpage is currently being designed, but if you'd like to visit it, it's www.301hotsauce.com

[bubbaschili]

keep us updated

[Dyce51]

Good Luck Chuk!!!! Hope it works out for ya. Like said earlier CYA on the recipes...Keep us posted...

Hey DD on pricing, I agree with others re do the math...I know I can make a bottle of my sauce for $1.93 a bottle (not including labor or professional labels) and the co-paker I am working with can do the same bottle for $2.71 a bottle for everything. So basically they are charging me with $0.78 per bottle for the labor and label...it's a cost I can live with. Just my .02.

Once again Congrats Chuk and good luck with your endevor!!!!!

[Eileen]

Who is the co-packer you found in Virginia Beach? I'm looking for one too...specifically in virginia.

[Pam]

Who is the co-packer you found in Virginia Beach? I'm looking for one too...specifically in virginia.

Hi Eileen! I don't know beans about co-packers, just wanted to welcome you!

[Artsnikka]

Being very new to this business myself, I have found a co-packer in Virginia Beach, VA who will produce and bottle my sauce cheaper than I can in my kitchen. Ashman Manufacturing. Btw, my sauce is called 301 Hot Sauce. My webpage is currently being designed, but if you'd like to visit it, it's www.301hotsauce.com


Hi! I'm totally new to this site but have been following it for a couple days now. This site is very cool! I've learned a lot from everyone even though my business plan isn't geared toward the fiery stuff. Since I'm also looking for co-packers for my products I may check out Ashman Manufacturing.....and appreciate all the great resources from everyone!
Thanks 301hotsauce!

[thehotpepper.com]

Welcome, Artsnikka.