Small-Batch Sauce and Dressing Maker

Cafés, restaurants, delis, butchers, farm shops and independent grocers who want a local, distinctive product.

Wholesale price per tub, bottle or carton, with repeat weekly or monthly orders. Larger pack sizes for kitchens, smaller retail jars for shops.

• Cooking and recipe testing
• Consistent batch quality
• Selling to local businesses
• Basic costing and pricing

• Food business registration with your local council, and whether you need a food safety supervisor in your state
• Food Standards Code rules on labelling, allergens and shelf life, check with your state food authority
• Food safety risks with low-acid or preserved sauces, consider getting your recipes and shelf life tested
• Public liability and product liability insurance
• Whether your council allows any production at home, many require an approved commercial kitchen

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $3,000 to $12,000, depending on kitchen hire, equipment, packaging, insurance and any recipe or shelf life testing you choose to do before selling to food businesses.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on how many cafés, delis and shops you supply and your batch sizes. It typically takes around 15 hours a week or more.

Things to check: food business registration with your local council, whether you need a food safety supervisor in your state, and Food Standards Code rules on labelling, allergens and shelf life. Also check whether your council allows any home production, as many require an approved commercial kitchen.