Do you know a Food Packager in Ontario, Canada?

Question

I have a recipe for a sauce that I want to package in glass jars and distribute. I can't find a food packager to do this!

Do you know any??

Thanks

Answer 1

You may get some ideas by reading labels of similar items in your local grocery store. You could even check President's Choice (their test kitchens are in Mississauga). They sell lots of great stuff at Zehr's, Loblaws and No Frills stores.

Good Luck!!

The Muse

Answer 2

I am a former chef from Canada and live in the GTA, the onething about doing something like that is first the volume you have to have produced, second is there a market for your sauce, your first best idea is to make a couple dozen jars, and take them around to gourmet shops and other places you see to market the product, even get them to allow you to set up a table and have people sample it like in the grocery stores, then after you have done the market research and have found store that will sell, remember they are going to want a cut of the price.

I had people say I should market my special BBQ sauce with Jack Daniels back in the 1980's long before it became a grocery store and restaurant staple product, there is the raw ingredients, the jars, labels and then as I said the distribution issues, and with the newer laws about homemade and non inspected foods the ON government brought in a few year back , it now nessessary to use a proper kitchen with a licence for food prep and is able to produce the product under sanitary and health board rules.

So try to find out first if there is a market for your sauce, I am sure it is very good, but there are alot of hurdles to get over, the store brands are mainly made by the same company and labeled for Sobeys, Presidents Choice, A&P, each may have a slight difference but not alot, just like the soft drinks are all made by Cott Beverages in Hamilton for all the stores.

I also worked in the 1980's for an American company who opened a seafood outlet in the old k**b Hill Farms outlet at Weston Rd and 401 in Toronto, I made soups, sauces and accompaniments for the fish and seafood they sold, then it was not required to have then blast chilled or sealed with a lid under pressure, place like Italian delis and other theat sell salads, sauces, soup and maindishes or appetizers can use the vendors permits to get it sold.