There are few products that are as closely associated with luxury and gourmet cuisine as caviar. Its scarcity, high prices, and distinct flavor make it one of the most expensive goods in the specialty food and seafood industries. As with other luxury food products, caviar is primarily used in Michelin-starred restaurants and other fine dining establishments. In recent years, the foodie culture has made caviar and roe more popular with the general public. Furthermore, new extraction methods have allowed harvesters to gather roe without reducing the population of sturgeon fish species. These are just some of the factors that have contributed to the increase in caviar wholesale sales. From grocery stores and specialty food retailers to restaurant businesses and seafood markets, a variety of companies purchase large quantities of this expensive product. In the following paragraphs, we’ll shed some light on the wholesale caviar sector and what businesses purchase this product. Make sure to check our previous article if you wish to know what is caviar.
Key takeaway: Caviar wholesale suppliers usually offer a wide range of roe products. They have good product sourcing capabilities and international relationships with producers. Businesses that purchase wholesale caviar include fine-dining restaurants, hotels, catering companies, and retailers.
Who Buys Caviar Wholesale
A variety of businesses might purchase caviar in large quantities. Some distributors’ minimum order quantities (MOQ) are the reason why some companies buy caviar from retailers. Here are a few examples of businesses that order caviar wholesale.
- Hotels and resorts. They use caviar and roe in various recipes. That’s especially true for resorts that attract a lot of visitors from Asia or luxury hotels.
- Fine dining restaurants. They purchase caviar wholesale as it is a common ingredient in appetizers or served as a standalone delicacy that attracts VIP clients.
- Airlines and cruise ships. A lot of cruise lines and airlines aim to attract customers with high-end dining experiences. That includes incorporating high-end ingredients such as caviar.
- Gourmet and specialty food retailers. Stores that sell caviar usually offer it in small sizes in order to make it more affordable to the general public. Gourmet delis and specialty food stores might purchase bulk caviar and other luxury items from specialty food distributors.
- Event planning and catering businesses. Various types of caviar are frequently used at corporate events or special occasions. Thus, it makes sense for catering companies and event planners to order them in bulk when they have a big event upcoming.
How to Choose a Supplier of Wholesale Caviar
When it comes to finding suppliers of luxury goods, there are various factors business owners should consider. Here are some of them.
- Distributors of gourmet foods should have good product knowledge and offer consultations to their customers;
- Product sourcing is very important when selling caviar wholesale;
- Instead of picking a supplier in a small niche market, consider partnering with broadline distributors that can offer thousands of products;
- When it comes to luxury and gourmet products, quality is paramount.
Tips for Distributors of Caviar Wholesale
Whether you want to improve the operations of your seafood distribution business or wish to start selling caviar wholesale, here are some of the things that can help you.
- Invest in technology. Fine-dining restaurants and specialty food retailers will expect a caviar wholesale distributor to have different technological solutions. This includes wholesale order management software, an eCommerce catalog, and easy invoicing.
- Scale your operations. Wholesale food distributors that wish to attract more customers should increase their product offerings. That’s especially important for specialty food suppliers.
- Offer additional services. Whether you are a wholesale seafood distributor or specialize in bulk sales of gourmet food products, consider offering additional B2B services. Such services can be product sourcing or white-labeling.
- Market your products. When it comes to luxury products such as caviar, marketing is imminent. The marketing strategy of caviar wholesale suppliers should include not only improving relationships with potential buyers but also distributing content regarding the health benefits of seafood and caviar.
- Minimize food waste and other costs. As we’ve mentioned in our article on how to run a wholesale business successfully, proper wholesale inventory management is very important. That’s because of the low profit margins distributors have. Thus, make sure to do everything possible to minimize food waste, have a high turnover rate, and limit costs.
- Improve your import capabilities. A large percentage of the caviar and roe in the US is imported from other regions of the world. Furthermore, traditional caviar that is used in the most expensive seafood dishes is farmed in regions near the Caspian and Black Seas. Thus, businesses that wish to sell caviar wholesale need to establish relationships with producers overseas. This will also make it easier for them to import bulk fish or other gourmet foods from various regions of the world.
If you wish to read more tips about managing a food distribution business, check out our posts on how to become a wholesaler and how to get a wholesale license.
Frequently Asked Questions about Caviar Wholesale
Are you interested in reading more about seafood businesses? Or perhaps you wish to know about the latest trends in the restaurant industry? BlueCart can help you with valuable tips and free resources. From advice on increasing wholesale sales to listicles with the largest broadline distributors in the US, you can find everything on our blog.
Why Is Wholesale Caviar Expensive?
The reason why caviar is a luxury product is the insufficient supply which increases its price substantially. Traditional caviar is extracted only from certain species of sturgeon in the Black and Caspian Seas. As caviar has become a high-demand product, even wholesale prices per kilogram are high. There are multiple alternatives to traditional caviar that help push prices down. For example, American caviar is extracted from sturgeon species in the Mississippi River basin or near the US West Coast. Non-sturgeon caviar alternatives are also used extensively in seafood restaurants and other businesses. Their lower price and good qualities make them a great choice for some seasonal seafood dishes.
What’s the Difference between Roe and Caviar?
The main difference between the two products is that caviar is salt-cured roe extracted from certain sturgeon fish species. That being said, all caviar is roe, but not all roe is caviar. The scarcity is the reason why caviar is so much more expensive compared to other roe. Traditional caviar is light or dark gray. On the other hand, the most common non-sturgeon caviar alternatives are usually brown, red, orange, or yellow. In terms of price, caviar is much more expensive than roe.
What Are the Different Types of Caviar?
There are various types of caviar on the market. Classical caviar is a salt-cured roe from Beluga, Osetra, Sevruga, and Kaluga fish species. They are primarily found in the Caspian and Black Seas. American caviar is also harvested from sturgeon fish species that are common near the US West Coast and in American rivers. Other roe products (that are sometimes marketed as non-sturgeon caviar) include orange and red roe from salmon, carp, and other species. Capelin caviar is a popular ingredient in sushi and is known as masago. There are also different color shades of caviar. Generally speaking, the darkest caviar is the most expensive one while light gray or dark green products are cheaper.
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