“I make it a certain way because I want it to taste a certain way and be different from everybody else, and honestly I had a lot of doubt in my mind that I’d ever find a co-packer, and through [PartnerSlate] we got really lucky to find just the perfect people.”
-Chef John D’Eredita, Owner and Co-Founder of Mama Dita’s
Challenge
Chef John had been searching for a co-man for 2 years and was losing hope of ever bringing his sauces to market.
A CIA trained chef, Chef John D’Eredita had a portfolio of three incredible and unique sauces however after two years of searching for a co-manufacturer to produce them at scale, he thought it would be impossible. As a corporate chef for ShopRite, John had deep connections in the industry that he tried to call upon, but still couldn’t find someone who was able to both replicate his recipes and grow with his brand. He was close to giving up on ever launching Mama Dita’s.
John’s consulting team, led by Susanne Brose of Fenomenal, decided to turn to PartnerSlate, knowing that no other platform boasted the number or quality of relationships, and could turn up co-mans who were willing to be partners, not just suppliers.
“A lot of people wanted to manipulate our recipes and manipulate our sauces, and just change it to what works best for them in a factory. So when Susanne was like, ‘Hey, I have a great idea – PartnerSlate.’ I was like ‘It sounds awesome.’ Like a dating website for people who want to find a co-manufacturer.“
Solution
PartnerSlate’s Marketplace expedited the search process and delivered high quality and interested partners in minutes.
After a call with the PartnerSlate team, Mama Dita’s needs were carefully converted into a project listing and reviewed by Antonella, Lead Brand Matching Advisor, for anonymity and accuracy.
1. Within minutes, compatible co-mans were requesting to chat.
PartnerSlate’s proprietary matching AI alerted the most compatible co-mans in the network of 6,000+, and after years of seeking out co-mans, Chef John was sitting back while connection requests from high quality, startup-friendly companies rolled in. Seeing really was believing.
2. Fourteen co-mans had connected in only one week and a shortlist of four was created.
With such a thorough listing, the co-mans knew exactly what the brand needed and could confidently request to connect knowing they were top candidates. Within days, a shortlist of the top four potential partners was created.
3. In just three weeks, Mama Dita’s had a new production partner confirmed.
Three of the four shortlisted partners produced samples from the chef’s recipes and in less than a month from publishing their project, Mama Dita’s had their perfect co-manufacturer. As Brose said, “I call it the Goldilocks…They understand how entrepreneurs work, think, operate, and they give just enough hand-holding… I can’t imagine a more dream scenario for any startup.”
“It was really fantastic in terms of how many people it (the project listing) attracted and finally finding somebody.“
Mama Dita’s launched in only 4 months, going to market in Spring of 2025.
“…through [PartnerSlate] we got lucky to find just the perfect people.” The high-quality and fast results from the Marketplace allowed Mama Dita’s to meet their deadlines and fill their pre-orders, launching the brand with 3 delicious, chef approved SKUs. Mama Dita’s is actively growing their footprint and has a partner who is able to scale with them as they build their customer base.
“[PartnerSlate] is a great place to meet a co-packer or manufacturer that is willing to do something that most people won’t.“
Explore how PartnerSlate can help your team at partnerslate.com.
