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meeting with co-packer for BBQ sauce.

C

Crazy Tex

Full Fledged Farker
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Location
Wichita Falls, TX
Name or Nickame
Matt
I have a meeting scheduled with a co-packer tomorrow about my bbq sauces that I make. I'm really kind of nervous, as I have never attempted any sort of business before.

Anyone else that has done this, any questions or things I need to look for when I'm talking to them and touring the facility?

Thanks!
 
-Be sure to get an understanding of ALL costs involved and if they will carry you under their umbrella insurance policy (which many do).

-Be sure you convey to them if there are any named brand or types of ingredients that cannot be substituted. For example, if you use a certain type of brown sugar and you don't want a cheaper/off brand used be sure you both understand that.

-Be sure to sign a non-compete/non-disclosure to where the co-packer can only make the sauce for YOU and YOU only and cannot reveal the recipe to anyone else. You can't physically stop them from doing it but at least you have legal recourse if caught.

-This goes with the first point but be sure to come to an agreement on how you pay for any overage from a batch. For example, if they run a 100 case minimum many times it is very hard to get EXACTLY 100 cases. They might have 105 cases when finished. But I've seen some totally screw up and make a batch that ends up with 135 cases and charge you the entire overage.

If I can think of other stuff I'll add. This was just off the top of my head.
 
Bamabuzzard said:
-Be sure to get an understanding of ALL costs involved and if they will carry you under their umbrella insurance policy (which many do).

-Be sure you convey to them if there are any named brand or types of ingredients that cannot be substituted. For example, if you use a certain type of brown sugar and you don't want a cheaper/off brand used be sure you both understand that.

-Be sure to sign a non-compete/non-disclosure to where the co-packer can only make the sauce for YOU and YOU only and cannot reveal the recipe to anyone else. You can't physically stop them from doing it but at least you have legal recourse if caught.

-This goes with the first point but be sure to come to an agreement on how you pay for any overage from a batch. For example, if they run a 100 case minimum many times it is very hard to get EXACTLY 100 cases. They might have 105 cases when finished. But I've seen some totally screw up and make a batch that ends up with 135 cases and charge you the entire overage.

If I can think of other stuff I'll add. This was just off the top of my head.
Click to expand...


Thanks. I will definitely ask about the insurance, although I believe in the emails the person said something about me having insurance.. not sure if that's for me setting up a business under my name or them producing.

Already have a NDA for both of us

Good to know about the overage.. wouldn't have thought about it.
 
I personally know nothing about this but there was a recent thread on the catering board about it and it stated that there was some confusion on how ingredients were being measured and the person said the sauce tasted nothing like it was supposed to

so be crystal clear on that, I would have thought that would have been standard practice but apparently not
 
ButtBurner said:
I personally know nothing about this but there was a recent thread on the catering board about it and it stated that there was some confusion on how ingredients were being measured and the person said the sauce tasted nothing like it was supposed to

so be crystal clear on that, I would have thought that would have been standard practice but apparently not
Click to expand...

The co-packer should be able to convert a homemade recipe into a commercial sized recipe. Ours did it without any problem. Nailed it on the first time (thank goodness). If they cannot do that I'd be leery of using them.
 
I think the meeting went ok. I took samples of what I had, along with the recipes. We discussed in length, toured the facility, and they are going to work on analyzing the recipe (upsizing, commercially available ingredients, etc) and get a cost back to me next week.

After I know the costs, then I can work on saving/raising the money to get all the business stuff done and pay for the first batch. Exciting and nerve wrecking all at the same time.
 
Glad all went well for you... Good Luck...


Crazy Tex said:
I think the meeting went ok. I took samples of what I had, along with the recipes. We discussed in length, toured the facility, and they are going to work on analyzing the recipe (upsizing, commercially available ingredients, etc) and get a cost back to me next week.

After I know the costs, then I can work on saving/raising the money to get all the business stuff done and pay for the first batch. Exciting and nerve wrecking all at the same time.
Click to expand...
 
ButtBurner said:
I personally know nothing about this but there was a recent thread on the catering board about it and it stated that there was some confusion on how ingredients were being measured and the person said the sauce tasted nothing like it was supposed to

so be crystal clear on that, I would have thought that would have been standard practice but apparently not
Click to expand...

Home cooks usually use volume when measuring, commercial recipes usually use weight.
 
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