Small-Batch food products from a shared kitchen
Make sauces, granola or baked goods in a rented commercial kitchen and sell to shops, cafés and online.
- C$2k-8k
- Side hustle
- Own premises
- Licence or permit needed
Estimates for a small start in Canada, not guarantees.
What it is
You produce one or a few packaged food products in batches, renting hours in a licensed shared or commissary kitchen instead of building your own facility.
Your first three steps
- Perfect one recipe, work out the cost per jar or pack, and test it with friends and at a local market
- Contact shared kitchens in your area about hourly rates, storage and what permits they require
- Ask your local public health unit what you need to sell packaged food, then pitch to five nearby shops or cafés
Who pays
Independent grocers, cafés, farm shops, farmers' markets and online customers who buy your products.
How it makes money
Wholesale price per unit to shops and cafés, plus higher retail prices at markets and online. Kitchen rental, ingredients and packaging are your main costs.
Skills that help
- Cooking and consistent recipes
- Costing and pricing
- Selling to local retailers
Watch out for
- Permits and food premises approval from your local public health unit or provincial regulator
- Canadian food labelling rules, including ingredients, allergens and bilingual labels in some cases, so check with the CFIA
- Commercial general liability and product liability insurance, which shops often ask to see
- Rules differ by province, and Quebec has its own requirements, so check yours
- Kitchen rental costs can eat margins if your batches are small
Deep research report · Canada
Everything you need to start: small-batch food products from a shared kitchen
Researched with live web search for Canada: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start a small-batch food business in Canada?
Startup costs are typically estimated at around $2,000 to $8,000 CAD, depending on your products, equipment, packaging and how many kitchen hours you rent. Kitchen rental costs can eat into margins if your batches are small, so check your numbers.
Do I need permits to sell food made in a shared kitchen in Canada?
Check permits and food premises approval with your local public health unit or provincial regulator. Also check Canadian food labelling rules with the CFIA, including allergens and bilingual labels in some cases. Rules differ by province, and Quebec has its own requirements.
How much can a small-batch food business earn?
Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,000 to $6,000 CAD, depending on your products, prices, batch size and how many shops, markets and online customers you sell to. Plan on at least about 12 hours a week.
Other ways to run this business
Home-made packaged foods for markets and online
Make low-risk foods like baked goods, preserves or dry mixes at home where local rules allow, and sell at markets and online.
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Small food production unit supplying shops and cafés
Rent a small unit, equip it for food production and make packaged products in volume for retailers and online orders.
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