Starting a wholesale spices and herbs business is a very lucrative endeavor. With the right planning, equipment, and guide, you can guild a successful spice business in no time.
Key Takeaway: In this guide, we explore all you need to know to make and sell your own seasoning. From the strategic sourcing of whole spices and the spice production process to choosing the perfect spice packaging ideas and learning to sell spices online, we got you covered.
Read on to learn more!
How to Start a Spice Business
Like every other business in the D2C, B2C, and B2B eCommerce sectors, you need a plan before you start your own spice business.
Let’s look at how to start a spice business.
- Market Research and Business Plan
Create a detailed eCommerce business plan. Here’s a checklist you should follow when writing your spice business plan:
- Define your objectives
- Collect primary and secondary customer data
- Analyze competitors
- Identify your target market
- Analyze market trends
- Identify market gaps
- Create your business plan
- Legal Requirements and Permits
It is important that you familiarize yourself with FDA guidelines for spice blending and packaging, as well as any local or state requirements that may apply.
Here are some key steps to take:
- Familiarize yourself with the food safety regulations that apply to your business.
- Review the FDA guidelines for spice blending and packaging, including labeling requirements, such as listing ingredients, allergen information, and nutritional content.
- Research any additional local or state requirements that may apply to your spice business.
- Obtain all necessary business licenses and permits required for your spice business.
- Acquire appropriate eCommerce business insurance coverage for your business, such as general liability, product liability, and workers' compensation insurance.
- Consider registering your unique spice blends as trademarks and intellectual property to protect your products from being copied or infringed upon by others.
- Sourcing High-Quality Spices
Sourcing high-quality spices is essential for the success of your spice business. Another important aspect of sourcing wholesale restaurant supplies from wholesale businesses and wholesale distributorships is to keep the vendor payment process short.
- Creating Unique Spice Blends
When blending your spices, it is important that you develop a range of unique and delicious spice blends that cater to different tastes and preferences. Experiment with various combinations and ensure your blends are consistent, flavorful, and aromatic.
- Packaging and Branding
The first thing that will catch the eye of any shopper in a supermarket is the packaging of a product. Unlike specialty cheese, wholesale popcorn, or microgreens kits, restaurant owners and customers do not know what to expect from your unique blend of spices. Draw them in with your eCommerce packaging.
- Distribution Channels
Identifying the most effective food distribution channels for your spice business is very important if you want to succeed. This may include selling directly to consumers through your website, partnering with local specialty stores and supermarkets, or supplying your products to restaurants and catering businesses.
- Promoting Your Brand
Now you have a spicy product, what next? It’s time to get your product in front of your target market.
Start by getting your eCommerce website ready. You can integrate online payment processing software like BlueCart Pay, online ordering management system, and even add your digital catalog to the website.
How Much Does it Cost to Start a Spice Business?
From the cost of starting a spice business shop (either a brick and mortar store, or an online eCommerce store) to the cost of buying spice business equipment, having a breakdown of initial operating costs will help you maximize profits and minimize costs.
How much does it cost to start a spice business? Let’s find out!
Initial Costs
- Business registration and legal fees: $500 - $2,000
- Premises setup (lease or property purchase): $1,000 - $5,000 per month for rent or $100,000 - $300,000 for property purchase
- Utilities setup: $200 - $1,000 per month
- Equipment and machinery cost: $35,000 - $80,000
- Inventory and raw materials: $8,000 - $30,000
Annual Operational Expenses
- Labor costs: $40,000 - $160,000
- Utilities and maintenance: $2,400 - $12,000 for utilities and $1,000 - $5,000 for machinery maintenance
- Marketing and advertising cost: $7,000 - $30,000
- Distribution and logistics cost: $6,000 - $31,000 for shipping and transportation and $12,000 - $72,000 for warehousing and storage
25 Spice Business Equipment: Complete Spice Machine List
From spice grinding machines to industrial spice mixers, there is an equipment for every stage of the spice production process. If a baker can spend money on bakery equipment, a cheesemonger on cheese equipment, and a wholesale popcorn maker on popcorn equipment, then a spice maker should invest in the proper spice making equipment.
Let’s look at some of these equipment.
Spice Harvesting Equipment
- Mechanical equipment
Spice Cleaning Equipment
- Air Classifiers
- Sieves/Vibrating Screens
- Destoners
- Washing Machines
Spice Drying Equipment
- Tray Dryers
- Rotary Dryers
- Fluidized Bed Dryers
Spice Grading Equipment
- Sieving Machines
- Optical Sorters
- Density Separators
Spice Roasting Equipment
- Drum Roasters
- Infrared Roasters
- Hot Air Roasters
Spice Grinding Equipment
- Hammer mills
- Impact mills
- Roller mills
Spice Sieving Equipment
- Vibrating Screens
- Centrifugal Sifters
Spice Blending Equipment
- Ribbon Blenders
- Paddle Mixers
- Tumble Blenders
Spice Packaging Equipment
- Spice Filling Machines
- Spice Sealing Machines
- Spice Labelling Machines
How to Find Wholesale Spices Supplier for Your Business
Strategic sourcing of wholesale restaurant supplies is an integral part of any business in the food and beverage industry. Without the steady supply of raw materials inventory and ingredients, it may become difficult to keep up with high demand of your products from customers.
Finding wholesale spices and herbs vendors can be a daunting task if you don’t know where to look. Let’s look at how to find wholesale spices suppliers for your business.
- Research and Identify Your Business Needs
- Use Online Directories
- Attend Trade Shows and Expos
- Join Industry Associations
- Request Recommendations
- Online Search and Social Media
- Evaluate Potential Suppliers
- Negotiate Terms
- Monitor and Maintain Relationships
4 Benefits of Buying Organic Herbs and Spices in Bulk
Organic herbs and spices are those that are grown and processed naturally, without any synthetic or chemical additives. These herbs and spices are produced under strict sustainable farming practices and principles.
Now that you understand what organic herbs and spices are, let’s look at some of the benefits of buying bulk herbs and spices.
- Costs Savings
- Improved Quality and Freshness
- Less Packaging
- Customizable Blends
Spice Storage: 10 Spice Storage Ideas
Besides the regular spice racks and spice storage boxes, there are several ways to store spices. From the spice manufacturing and eCommerce packaging processes to when the spice is shipped for warehouse distribution and sold to a restaurant, there is a spice storage hack for each step.
Whether it’s spice and herb racks, spice shelves, or even spice drawers, we’ll explore various spice storage ideas and help you make the decision on where to store spices.
Here are some creative spice storage ideas for spice businesses, catering businesses, spice wholesalers, and restaurants.
- Use Bulk Spice Bins
This spice storage solution is perfect for food service businesses that buy bulk spices and herbs. Bulk spice bins can store large quantities of spices and herbs and usually come in either metal or food-grade plastic spice containers.
- Try Spice Jars
Spices jars are quite popular for storing spices, especially with wholesale and retail spice businesses. Just like normal glass jars, spice jars come in different shapes and sizes and are made from glass, plastic, or metal.
- Install Magnetic Spice Racks
If you are looking for a modern and more stylish way to store your spices, then magnetic spice racks will do the trick. Magnetic spice racks are made of metal and come with magnetic tins or canisters that can stick to the metal surface.
- Build Spice Drawers
Using spice drawers is another creative spice storage solution, especially for restaurant businesses. You can order a premade spice drawer online and simply install it in your kitchen drawers. Or design a custom-made one to fit the size of your kitchen.
- Add Spice Shelves
Spice shelves are great for storing spices when you have limited counter or drawer space. Typically, spice shelves can be freestanding or mounted on the wall above a countertop or stove. They are made from wood, metal, or plastic.
- Get Spice Racks
Spice racks come with multiple tiers or shelves, which allow for easy access to your herbs and spices. No matter the type of spice rack you go for, make sure you consider the size of your spice jars and containers.
3 Spice Storage Hacks for Restaurants: How to Store Bulk Spices
Now that you know where to store your spices, let’s look at some spice storage hacks for your kitchen.
- Label and organize your spices
- Use clear spice containers
- Store spices away from light
5 Spice Packaging Ideas
Similar to how private label brands reach out to manufacturers to produce goods under their brand, packaging spices for resale involves creating a unique brand and packaging for selling spices online. This allows you to differentiate your product in the market and build your own customer base.
The process may sound tedious if you don’t know where to start. However, in this section, we’ll look at what you need to know about custom spice packaging and how to package spices for resale.
Let’s look at how to package spices for resale.
- Research the Market
What types of spices are in high demand currently? Do your customers prefer whole spices vs ground spices? Understanding what your potential market prefers will help you determine the appropriate products to offer and the right packaging and branding strategies to use.
- Choose your Wholesale Distribution Partners
Finding reliable spice suppliers that can supply you with high quality spices in large quantities is key to the success of your spice business. Look for wholesale businesses that offer different spices and competitive wholesale prices.
- Design Your Brand
From designing your unique brand name and logo, to making sure that your eCommerce packaging aligns with your brand image, there’s a lot of things you need to do before your spices are ready for resale.
- Comply With Food Safety Regulations
It is very easy to forget that you are also part of the food supply chain since you’re ‘just’ packaging spices for resale. However, as a spice reseller, retailer, or wholesale distributor, you have an important role in making sure that food safety systems and standards are adhered to.
- Select Your Packaging Materials
Choosing the wrong spice packaging materials will not only affect your brand image, it will also hinder the growth of your business. It is important that you select the appropriate packaging materials for spices and herbs.
- Choose the Best Packaging Sizes
Another key aspect in learning how to package spice for resale is choosing packaging sizes. Offering more than one packaging size allows you to cater to various customer preferences.
- Ensure Proper Spice Storage
Use spice storage containers that are air-tight and oxygen absorbers. If your spices and herbs will be stored in a distributed warehousing facility for a long time, make sure you prepare adequate storage conditions as well.
- Track and Put Quality Control Processes in Place
Implementing a system that can track and label each spice batch will make quality control and traceability easier. For instance, if there was a packaging issue with one of the batches, your tracking system will help you with the product recall process.
- Set Your Prices
Deciding on your pricing strategy should be based on factors such as the cost of starting a spice business, the amount you spent on packaging materials, and your desired profit margins. You can also check what your competitors price similar products.
- Choose The Right Sales Channels
Choosing the right sales channels for selling spices online is important if your business will succeed. This could include setting up your spice website and online store, selling on social commerce platforms, and working with local farmers’ markets or food fairs.
5 Spice Packaging Ideas
Let’s look at some of the best spice packaging ideas for your business.
- Spice Tins with Clear Lids
- Doypacks with Resealable Zippers
- Glass Spice Bottles with Cork Stoppers
- Spice Grinders with Custom Labels
- Test Tube Spice Samplers
How to Make Spice Blends for Restaurants and Cafes
Creating your own unique spice blends sounds like a dream come true, especially if you run a restaurant business or cafe. Besides spicing up your customers’ fine dining experience - pun intended - having your own custom spice blend creates a unique signature taste for each of your meals.
In this section, we’ll be looking at how to create some mouth-watering wholesale spice blends for your restaurant menu. Trying to create a spicy Mexican spice blend or the perfect Southwest spice blend? We got you covered!
There are different types of spice mixes and seasoning blends from around the world. Let’s take a glimpse at some of the most popular ones.
- Chaat Masala Spices Mix
- Duqqa
- Montreal Steak Seasoning
- Taco Seasoning
- Herbes de Provence
- Ras el Hanout
- Italian Herb Mix
How to Make your Own Spice Blends
Let’s look at a step-by-step guide on how to make your own seasonings and spice blends:
- Select Your Base Ingredients
Some popular spice blend base ingredients are:
- Salt
- Pepper
- Onion powder
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Dried herbs
- Paprika
- Get Your Spice Blending Tools Ready
Here are some spice blending tools you’ll need:
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Mortar and pestle
- Spice grinder
- Airtight containers
- Measure the Spices and Combine
Start with small quantities and measure the spice according to your taste preference. You can add more spices if needed. No restrictions here!
- Grind and Blend Your Spice Mix
If you are using whole spices, then you’ll need to grind them. You can either use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Grind till you achieve the desired consistency with the blend.
- Taste and Adjust the Spice Mix
Now you have your custom spice blend, it’s time to make it perfect. After blending, you can taste to see which ingredients or flavors need adjusting.
- Store Your Spice Blends Properly
It is important that you store your spice blend properly if you want to maintain its taste, quality, and freshness. You can use airtight spice storage containers to store your spice blends.
- Experiment and Refine Your Spice Blend
Don't be afraid to experiment with different spice combinations and ratios. Keep track of your recipes and note any adjustments you make for future reference.
- Enjoy and Share
This is definitely the most important step in making a spice blend. Add your homemade spice blends into your favorite recipes, whether it's in marinades, rubs, soups, stews, or roasted dishes.
Top 10 Restaurant Spices: Restaurant Spice Supply
Deciding which spices to purchase, in what quantities, and from which wholesale spice suppliers can be a challenging task. Fortunately, building a versatile spice wholesale inventory for your restaurant or food service business doesn't require an extensive array of spices to begin with.
In this section, we will look at some of the best restaurant spice supply to add to your spices inventory. With these wholesale restaurant supplies, you can gradually expand your spice repertoire based on your menu offerings and customer preferences.
Let’s look at the top ten wholesale restaurant spices to add to your inventory.
- Black Pepper
You can use black pepper in a wide range of dishes, including soups, sauces, wholesale meats, and vegetables.
- Cumin
Cumin’s warm, earthy flavor enhances the taste of meats, vegetables, and legumes. In the restaurant industry, cumin is often used to create authentic and flavorful dishes that appeal to a wide range of palates. It pairs well with coriander, turmeric, and paprika.
- Paprika
If you want to add color and mild, sweet, or smoky flavors to a variety of dishes, such as goulash, paella, and barbecue rubs, then Paprika is your go-to spice. You can use Paprika to enhance the presentation and taste of dishes, creating memorable culinary experiences for guests.
- Turmeric
With turmeric's distinctive hue and taste, you can create visually appealing and flavorful dishes that delight guests.
- Cinnamon
If you sell baked goods online or own a bakery business, then this spice is a must have. Cinnamon is commonly used in baked goods, desserts, and beverages, as well as in Middle Eastern and Indian savory dishes.
- Garlic Powder
Garlic is a versatile seasoning used in a wide range of dishes in your restaurant, including seafood pairings, vegetables, and sauces. It imparts a robust garlic flavor without the need for fresh garlic, making it a practical choice for busy commercial kitchens.
- Oregano
If your menu offers seasonal dishes like pizza, pasta sauces, and grilled meats, then oregano is one ingredient you should have. Oregano adds depth and a distinctive aroma to a variety of recipes, creating satisfying and memorable meals.
- Red Pepper Flakes
Chilli peppers are used to add a spicy kick and depth of flavor to dishes, appealing to customers who enjoy bold tastes. Red pepper flakes contain capsaicin, the compound responsible for their spiciness.
- Coriander
You can use coriander seeds as spice, and the leaves as herbs.
- Ginger
You can use ginger in both sweet and savory dishes across a variety of cuisines, including Asian, Indian, and Caribbean. Ginger's warm and zesty flavor adds depth and complexity to dishes like stir-fries, curries, and desserts.
How to Promote Spices Business in 6 Steps
From understanding who your niche market is to creating your unique selling proposition, starting a spice business requires more than just making restaurant spices. Learning how to promote spices business will help you grow your business and reach your target customers.
Selling spices online or offline requires that you put a few measures in place. Let’s look at some of these measures and how to promote your spices business.
- Know Your Customers
The first step to selling spices online is to know who you want to sell to. Now, knowing in this context means you understand your target market, know what they want, when they want it, and how they want it.
So, how do you ‘know’ your target audience?
- Conduct market research
- Learn from what your customers say
- Listen to what people say on social media
- Study your competitors strategies
- Create customer segments
- Personalize customer data
- Develop Your Marketing Plan
Now you know who your customers are, what next?
The next thing is to write your eCommerce marketing plan. Just as it is important to write a business plan when you are about to start any business, it is critical that you create your marketing plan to promote your spices business.
In all, your spices business marketing plan should include the following:
- Marketing budget
- Buyer persona information
- Intended marketing channels
- Timeline
- Customer data and information
- Set Your Spices Business Marketing Budget
Online and offline marketing can get expensive really fast if you don’t set your budget. Setting your marketing budget will help you know how much to allocate to each marketing campaign and ensure that you use your budget wisely.
- Market on the Right Channels
You know your customers, have a plan and a set budget, what next? Now, you get to work!
With your eCommerce spice business website, it is easier to set your brand narrative, tell your own story, manage your audience, and track your online marketing campaigns. You can integrate several eCommerce omnichannel marketing and wholesale software, order management and online ordering software, customer relationship management software, and payment processing software, like BlueCart Pay.
Here are some marketing channels to explore:
- eCommerce content marketing
- eCommerce email marketing
- Social media marketing
- eCommerce PPC
- eCommerce SEO
- Try Offline Marketing
You can attend trade shows and fairs, reach out to restaurants and supermarkets in your area, or even showcase your products at the farmer’s market. Another strategy is to partner with local food bloggers, chefs, or cooking schools.
Getting Started With BlueCart
Starting a wholesale spices and seasoning business is a challenging but rewarding endeavor. With the right strategies and resources, you can create a successful business that provides delicious and high-quality wholesale spices to customers.
This guide is designed to guide you through the key steps of starting your own wholesale spices and herbs business, and we hope that it will inspire you to turn your passion for spices into a thriving business.