Small-Batch charcuterie workshop

Restaurants, independent grocers and delis, farmers' market shoppers, and local customers who buy online or by pre-order.

Wholesale prices to restaurants and shops, and higher retail prices at markets or through pre-orders. Curing takes weeks, so you earn from a steady range of products, not single batches.

• Meat butchery and food safety knowledge
• Patience and careful record keeping
• Selling to chefs and shop owners

• Meat plant licensing: check whether your province or the CFIA regulates your sales, as the rules differ if you sell outside your province
• Dry curing needs a documented food safety plan, such as controls for Listeria and proper temperature and humidity records. Check what your inspector requires
• Zoning and building rules for your unit, plus commercial general liability and product liability insurance
• Long curing times tie up cash in stock before you get paid
• Check labelling rules, including bilingual labelling for products sold across Canada, and French-language rules in Quebec

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $40,000 to $150,000 CAD, depending on the size of your unit and the curing and smoking equipment you need. Long curing times also tie up cash in stock before you get paid.

Check whether your province or the CFIA regulates your sales, as the rules differ if you sell outside your province. Also check your inspector's food safety plan requirements, zoning and building rules, insurance, and labelling rules, including French-language rules in Quebec.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $4,000 to $20,000 CAD, depending on your product range and how many restaurants, shops and market customers you sell to. Plan on roughly 25 hours a week or more.