Choosing the wrong contract packaging partner is worse for your business's reputation than shipping spoilt milk. Learn key factors to evaluate when selecting packaging services for your growing food company. Visit https://www.copperbeechtrading.co.uk/contract-packaging/ for more info.
Let's talk about something that's probably keeping you up at night if you're running a food business. Nearly sixty percent of you hit this wall where packaging becomes a complete nightmare as you grow. You know what I mean, right? One day you're happily packing everything yourself, next thing you know you're drowning in boxes and your customers are getting wonky deliveries. I bet you're there already, aren't you? Spending way too much time on packaging when you should be focusing on your actual business. Or maybe you're constantly worried about whether your orders are going out properly. Perhaps you've even had those dreaded complaints about damaged products or packaging that looks like it was done by someone's five-year-old. Trust me, in the food world, these problems snowball fast because your reputation is absolutely everything. Here's the thing though, you don't have to do this alone. There are packaging partners out there who can take all this stress off your plate. But here's the catch, choosing the wrong one can be worse than doing it yourself. So let's chat about how to pick the right partner. First up, let's talk certifications. This is huge, especially if you're dealing with organic foods. You need to ask them straight up, do they have the proper certifications? In the UK, if you're organic, they need that Certificate of Compliance from an approved body. No ifs, no buts. Without it, you could lose your organic status, and that's game over for your brand. And here's something people often forget about, temperature control. If you're dealing with food, this isn't optional. You need to know exactly what they can handle. Can they do cold storage? What about ambient? Can they handle different temperature zones at the same time? Don't just assume they can. Ask the hard questions. Now, let's talk tech. You absolutely need to see their systems in action. Can you check your inventory in real time? What kind of reports can they give you? Do they play nicely with your online shop? Because let me tell you, if you can't see what's happening with your stock, you're flying blind and that's going to cost you money and customers. Here's another big one, flexibility. Loads of these packaging companies want massive minimum orders that just don't work for smaller food businesses. You need someone who gets that your business has seasons. Christmas hampers are mental busy, then January's dead quiet. Easter's bonkers, then it drops off again. Can they scale up when you need them to without everything falling apart? Quality control is massive too. You need to know exactly what they're checking and when. What happens if something goes wrong? How do they handle recalls? What if they mess up an order? In the food business, you can't afford mistakes that could cause cross-contamination or wrong labelling. That stuff can shut you down. Let me give you a real example. There's this company called "Copper Beech Trading" up in the Preston area. They've got their organic certification sorted, they don't demand minimum orders, and they work with food businesses across places like Preston, Lancaster, and Kendal. They've got proper temperature-controlled facilities and they do sustainable packaging too. That's exactly the kind of setup you want to be looking for. And here's why going local makes sense. Yeah, it's cheaper on transport, but that's not the real benefit. Local partners actually understand your market. They can do same-day collections when you're in a bind. And when things go wrong, and they will sometimes, you can actually go and have a proper conversation face to face instead of being stuck on hold with some call centre. So here's what you need to do. Sit down and write out exactly what you need. What temperatures? How much volume during your busy seasons? What kind of packaging? Then use everything we've talked about today to grill potential partners. Don't settle for someone who can't genuinely support your growth without messing up the quality your customers expect. Click the link in the description to learn more.
Copper Beech Trading
City: Carnforth
Address: 1 Box Tree
Website: https://copperbeechtrading.co.uk
Phone: +44 15242 20205
Email: katie@copperbeechtrading.co.uk