What This Article Covers

This is the end-to-end lifecycle of a manufactured item from the Central Kitchen's perspective: from building the recipe to producing it for the schools that ordered it. For the underlying concept of manufactured items and when to use them, see Manufactured Items vs. Sub-Recipes. For the toggle steps on a recipe, see Create a Manufactured Item.

Step 1: Build the Recipe

Create the recipe in the CK's Pantry like any other recipe: ingredients, instructions, yield, and standard serving size. The recipe should reflect the actual batch the CK will produce, since the manufactured item's packaging is defined relative to this recipe.

Step 2: Enable Manufactured Item

On the recipe page, turn on the Manufactured Item toggle. Gaia creates a corresponding item version with a green box linking back to the recipe. From the item, configure:

Packaging sizes (for example, "1 tray of 24 servings" or "1 pan of 4 lbs")
Conversion units between the recipe's serving size and the packaging
Any other item-level fields needed for ordering

Step 3: Add the Item to the CK Order Guide

Add the manufactured item as a vendor product on the CK's order guide. Toggle on the schools or groups that should see this item on their order screen. Schools that are not toggled on will not see the item even though it exists on the CK.

Step 4: Schools Order the Manufactured Item

Schools see the manufactured item as a packaged product on the CK order guide. They order it through the regular ordering flow (Shop Week or manual orders), specifying the package quantity they need.

Step 5: CK Production Record Auto-Generates

Once a school order includes the manufactured item, the CK's daily production record for the production date reflects the total servings needed across all ordering schools. The CK does not enter a forecast for this; it is driven by what schools ordered. See Manage Central Kitchen Production for the CK production workflow.

Step 6: Produce, Pack, and Distribute

CK staff use the daily production view to record what was produced. They hover over the offering to see the by-school breakdown, print the breakdown for packing, and prepare each school's delivery. When the school receives the order, inventory transfers from the CK to the school.

When to Use a Sub-Recipe Instead

If a component is prepared at each school (not by the CK), use a sub-recipe instead so each school's production record shows the full ingredient list. Sub-recipes do not support packaging, conversions, or vendor product entries, which are required for CK distribution. See Manufactured Items vs. Sub-Recipes.