# starting artisanal cheese/sausage business



## rblum (Jul 14, 2005)

I have been giving a great deal of thought on this and thought that perhaps this would be the best area to post my question, seeing as how a few of you may be/probably are private business owners. I am looking for a bit of guidance as to how I might go about starting up a , small scale to start, cheese/sausage business. If anyone has any links/places to begin regarding regulations, requirements etc that would be most appreciated. This is a bit off in the distance to say the least, but something I have been prepairing for for a bit. Thanks in advance.


----------



## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

You have to get licenses and permits from your local health dept. If you sell over state lines you must be FDA inspected. Yo cant do either of these out of your home. You must have a federal ID number. So give all of this good thought. It cost quite a bit for startup, and in this economic period we are in, you will have to sell for less then the competition. You determine if it is worth it.:bounce:
Call your own state health dept. for regulations in your state.


----------



## rblum (Jul 14, 2005)

Thanks.... Not planning on using my home, I am a Chef at a golf course, and the restaurant itself is only open from 11 to 6 leaving a good deal of time to use our facilities. Owner will alow me to use the kitchen for the cost of utilities. They just cut my pay pretty drastically, so I offered this as an alternative to them losing me completely. I will be going to get info for licensing etc next week. I will at first be marketing locally in the Ft Collins/Boulder area to restaurants etc and once the season starts I will be getting out to the farmers markets etc. 

Starting out I will be doing simple fresh cheeses, and sausages, along with my grill rub. 
so I am getting excited about this new endevour. I guess the addage of "everything for a reason" acctually might hold true sometimes. If anyone would be willing to give my grill rub a dry run (pun intended) PM me some info. and I will gladly send out some samples.


----------



## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

Look into product insurance and liability insurance while your at it. 
After finding out all info, draw up a detailed business plan, based on all the infoyou have compiled. Good Luck


----------



## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Ed, surprisingly there are some premium artisan salumi makers that are doing very very well....top prices. Started in an incubator and now are sharing a large space with a caterer and chocolateer......
He's making aged as well as fresh, getting his meats (pork) from our top pork farmers (one is raising organic berkshires on Jersey whey, the other is raising tammworth blend).....guanciale, different salamis, proscuitto is in the works, etc.....his mustarde is to die for, really nice blend of fruit/spice/goo.....
His packaging is simple and very classy. Top notch, top price, sells out....has a waiting list for several products.


----------



## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

You are in luck because next month we will be having a 3 day Q&A forum with Bruce Aidells you should pose your question to him them.


----------

