How to choose the right wholesale food supplier for your catering business?

As a catering business, you must have access to a reliable wholesale food distributor so that you never run out of key ingredients. A growing business cannot wait for a tomato paste shortage especially on a busy night. This is why restaurants rely on wholesalers to keep the supply of key ingredients steady and the customers happy. 

Have you been thinking of starting a restaurant of your own? Have you been pondering what qualities you should look for in a reliable distributor? Well, we've got you covered. Here are our top tips on what you should look for in a distributor. 

 Do your research

A wholesale supplier is someone your day to day business activities depends on. There are often a lot of options to pick from which is why you should go into the decision making well-informed. There are many things to consider and you should always compare certain points such as the availability of the specific products your restaurant requires. The kind of discounts and deals that are being offered to long-term customers as well as the delivery systems and the kind of reputation they have among other clients. 

 Check for availability of products 

As any restaurant would, there are certain ingredients which are crucial to a business. They are the key ingredients of your main dishes or customer’s favourites. These ingredients have to available at all times which is why when deciding upon who the best food distributor is for you, it is important to check the availability of all the products you require. This is especially important if the products you are looking for are rarities or seasonal and likely to run out. 

 Get acquainted with the services you are offered

Many wholesale distributors offer their customers with services other than just wholesale product availability. A great distributor will provide you with transport, help you with the unloading of supplies and even provide customers with discounts several times throughout their contract. Wholesale distributors understand that a long term satisfied customer is more beneficial to their business so they try to accommodate clients as best as they can. Look for wholesalers that you and your business can rely on. 

If your business is located in Stoke on Trent, UK, we advise checking out Pentagon Food Group. It is a well-known food distributor that many restaurants and catering businesses in the area rely on. From weekly deals to an extensive catalogue, there is so the value they offer to their customers. They are reliable and do everything they can to accommodate their customer’s needs. Moreover, the temperature control trucks area selling point because it ensures that frozen, ambient and fresh products get delivered to your doorstep in the best condition possible. 

 Negotiate with your distributor

Now a wholesale distributor is someone that you will benefit off as anyway because purchasing in bulk is always more affordable. But over time you can build a relationship with your distributor that can give you the advantage of negotiating prices, deals and even marketing. As a catering business, we recommend that you pick a wholesale distributor based on how the contract can benefit your business in the long run.