Small local cannery for growers and brands

Fruit and vegetable growers with surplus or seconds, small food brands without their own facility, local shops and restaurants, and direct customers.

You charge growers and brands a per-batch or per-jar processing fee, and you earn product margin on your own label sold to shops and online.

• Food safety and process control
• Running equipment and managing production runs
• Dealing with suppliers and wholesale customers

• Premises must be approved by the relevant health or food authority, and rules differ by province and municipality
• Federal licensing and preventive control plan requirements from the CFIA may apply, check which ones fit your products and markets
• Heat-processed low-acid foods need a validated process, check with a recognized process authority
• Commercial general liability, product recall and property insurance, and WCB/WSIB coverage once you hire (rules by province)
• Seasonal peaks and quiet winter months, so plan cash flow carefully
• Equipment and unit costs are high, so test demand before signing a long lease

Estimates for this idea are typically around $40,000 to $150,000 to start, depending on your unit, kettles, filling and sealing equipment, and retort or water bath. Equipment and unit costs are high, so test demand before a long lease.

Estimates suggest monthly revenue of typically around $6,000 to $30,000, depending on how much produce you process for growers and brands and what you sell under your own label. That is revenue, not profit. Seasonal peaks and quiet winters need planning.

Check that your premises can be approved by the relevant health or food authority, and which CFIA licensing and preventive control plan requirements fit your products. Heat-processed low-acid foods need a validated process, and insurance and WCB/WSIB coverage should be checked.