Ask the Collective

What is the current state of the UK small-scale canning market, and which co-packers are reliable for short-run 250ml slim can filling?

The UK small-scale canning market is described as 'the Wild West' with significant reliability issues. Several members have had poor experiences with co-packers and are actively seeking alternatives. **Current options for short-run 250ml slim can filling:** - **Envirocan** — mentioned as a brand-new option with quick turnaround capability, recommended for emergency runs **Market state:** - Multiple members report ongoing issues with canning co-packers, with at least one describing serious "malpractice" that caused operational disruption - Some members indicated they have canning capacity in-house but at larger volumes (250,000+ cans per SKU), suggesting capacity is fragmented - The community identified a need for dedicated peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing on canning operations and supplier reliability due to repeated problems **Caveats:** - Several members noted they cannot yet publicly name problem suppliers as they are still collecting stock or managing active relationships, but have committed to sharing details post-delivery - Capacity for sub-1,000 unit runs at short notice is severely limited; most members work at volumes significantly higher than 3–5k units - Members are actively exploring creating a dedicated subgroup for canning/production operations chat to collectively track supplier performance and share experiences