How to find a co-packer in the UK for your food or drink brand

A co-packer (short for contract packer) makes, fills or packs a product for another brand. Using one lets a small brand sell without building its own factory, but finding one that will take on a first order is often the hardest part of launching. This guide walks through the steps in order.

1. Get your own paperwork in order first

Co-packers take you more seriously when the basics are done. In England, every food business must register with the local authority where it trades at least 28 days before it starts, and registration is free, as West Lancashire Borough Council’s guidance sets out. Councils across the UK follow the same rule, so check with your own.

You should also have a product specification: the recipe, ingredients and their suppliers, allergens, target shelf life, packaging and the label claims you want to make.

2. Work out a realistic first run

Minimum runs vary a lot. Hand-packing lines can suit small batches, while automated lines usually need far larger orders before the cost per unit makes sense. Decide what you can afford to make, store and sell in the first three months. That number decides which co-packers you can approach.

Some manufacturers say so openly. In the CopackIndex listings, the “Minimum run” line shows what each co-packer publishes, and where nothing is stated it says so.

3. Choose the certification your buyers need

Retailers and wholesalers usually expect their suppliers, including the co-packer that makes your product, to hold a recognised food safety certification. The two you will see most often in the UK are:

BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety. It was the first standard benchmarked by the Global Food Safety Initiative, and certification has to be renewed with a new audit every year, according to High Speed Training’s guide to BRCGS.
SALSA (Safe and Local Supplier Approval). A scheme aimed at small and micro food and drink producers, run as a non-profit joint venture of the Food & Drink Federation, the NFU and UK Hospitality, with an annual audit, as SALSA explains.

Ask your target buyer which one they accept before you shortlist co-packers. Our guide to BRCGS and SALSA compares them in more detail.

4. Build a shortlist

Start with the format you need (bottles, cans, pouches, tubs, capsules, powders) rather than the product, because co-packers are organised around their lines. Then filter by certification and distance. Being within a few hours’ drive makes trial runs and site visits much easier.

You can browse by product in food, drinks, supplements and cosmetics, or by region.

5. Send a short, specific enquiry

Co-packers get many vague enquiries. Yours will stand out if it includes:

the product and format, with a photo or sample if you have one
your first run size and how often you expect to reorder
the certification your buyer requires
whether you will supply ingredients and packaging, or want the co-packer to source them
your target launch date

Keep the recipe itself back until you have signed a non-disclosure agreement.

6. Ask the questions that matter before you sign

What is the minimum run for my format, and the price per unit at that run and at double it?
Can I see your current certificate, its grade and your last audit date?
Who owns the recipe and the specification if we part ways?
What are the lead times for a trial run and for repeat orders?
How do you handle allergens on shared lines?
What happens if a batch fails a quality check?

7. Start with a trial run

A paid trial run, sometimes called a pilot batch, shows you how the product behaves on a commercial line before you commit to a full order. Expect small changes to the recipe or packaging at this stage.