Welcome to the world of DRY MIXES!
Coming in a wide variety of niches, they make a fantastic standalone business, for example:
1. Seasonings and Rubs
2. Soup Mixes
3. Breakfast Mixes
4. Dessert Mixes
5. Baking Mixes
6. Beverage Mixes
7. Breading Mixes
8. Dressing and Dip Mixes
9. Granola and Trail Mixes
Even better, for Cottage Foodies, dry mixes represent THE fastest path to line extension and exploding sales. Especially for bakers.
No more proofing, no more liquids, NO MORE BAKING, no more cooling, no more fear of baked goodies getting jumbled up or otherwise unpresentable!
And, you already have the ingredients! Just put “Add … eggs, milk, oil …” or whatever, on the label.
Of course, packaging does change (but still pretty cheap.)
And if you want to do “complete” mixes (instead of asking the consumer to add liquids in their own kitchen), you will need to invest in some new ingredients.
But powders like dried eggs, milk, cream, oils, honey, peanut butter, etc. are easy to obtain from bulk manufacturers and distributors.
For example, check out the unbelievable product line from this dry powder manufacturer based in Twin Falls, Idaho (which happens to be the milk cow capitol of our state, hence the preponderance of dairy products):
https://cheesepowder.com/products/full-product-list/
And from a marketing perspective, you pick up a massive increase in your customer base when you add dry mixes.
(Of course, these benefits apply to stand-alone dry mix companies as well.)
Let’s say you do a farmers’ market with your baked goods!
While cottage food laws say your items are “shelf stable”, in reality they are only delicious for a couple days… maybe edible 2 or 3 days more with a touch-up in the microwave.
So, your customers only buy what they, family, friends, close circle will eat TODAY. Or maybe tomorrow or the day after. And no out-of-town visitor is going to stuff your cupcakes or donuts into a suitcase headed for the airport.
See where I am going here?
With a dry mix version of your favorite cake or quick bread, you now are fair game to supply expanded consumer wants:
1. Some customers prefer to, even love to bake at home, and appreciate the convenience.
2. Baked goods customers might now add some mixes for later, increasing average ticket.
3. Travelers in town for tourist season now find an edible souvenir they can take home in their suitcase.
4. People with specialty diets can now add their own choice of milk, choice of oils, choice of egg/replacer.
5. You can use vegan substitutes, low carb sweeteners, and/or gluten free flours and expand your own recipes without time spent baking them (and now with a reasonable shelf life of several weeks or even months, giving you time to move them.)
6. Greatly expanded shelf life
a. (although some ingredients such as ground nuts, and other high-fat powders such as cream, butter, avocado, etc. may need some freshness dating suggestions on the label)
7. Product sales are less seasonal, and people more able to “stock up”.
And, if you are lucky enough to be in a state where you can ship to customers, dry mixes offer HUGE benefits:
1. Lighter weight and easier handling
o (compared to jam jars or finished baked goods)
2. Cheaper and much easier to ship, smaller boxes
3. Breakage in transit unlikely
o (exception, customer opening package with a box cutter, sigh)
4. Product becomes it’s own packing material
o (save a bundle on packaging supplies)
After spending over two decades in specialty foods, if I were starting a serious food business today, a dry mix company is what would I do differently…
More to come in the Dry Mix and Side Hustle categories at COTTAGE FOODOLOGY.
Please note that as a reader supported publication, Dry Mixes and Side Hustles are paid subscriber categories.
But I am giving you this one today. Dry mixes are a game changer, and I think you should know.
Mal Dell
The MONETIZATION CHEF
“Cooking UP Profits for Foodies