The pricing and costs of condiments, spreads and sauces differs based on the business need for the product. Condiment companies specialize in individual packets of sauces, gourmet spreads and sauces, organic sauces and dressings and wholesale condiments. The more gourmet a food product is, the higher the price. However, some gourmet condiments, spreads and sauces are sold wholesale or in bulk, reducing the overall cost.

When budgeting for food condiments, think about all the types of condiments you need. If you run a retail store, you only need jarred and canned condiments. If you run a fast food business or other eatery, you need condiment packets and jugs of condiments for customers who eat in your establishment. Before creating a condiments budget, consider the following:

1. Gourmet condiments include those sold by specialty shops. These are usually packaged for instant presentation or resale, so the cost is higher than average.

2. Organic sauces and spreads are popular and work well in health food stores or healthy eateries.

3. Wholesale sauces are a good deal for fast food businesses that need the basics, such as ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Compare pricing for organic food sauces

The best way to get pricing for organic food sauces or condiment spread is by visiting different organic food manufacturers. Since organic foods are a speciality niche, the costs are slightly higher than average.

I recommend: Visit the website for Charlie Trotter's products. He sells organic sauces, marinades and vinaigrette's for around $6 a bottle. Pasta sauces from the Victoria Packing Corp., distributed by New York Flavor, sell individually or in half-dozen or dozen cases. Prices range from $7 individually or around $70 for a large case.

Order gourmet sauce and other condiments

Gourmet condiments include condiments with fancy ingredients not available in regular supermarkets or typical distributors. These are great for retail stores or small restaurants that want to sell gourmet condiments.

I recommend: TJC Enterprises offers high-end gourmet salsa, mustard, pesto and pastes from $55 to $80, depending on product and quantity. The Strawberry Patch, advertised through the Gourmet Food Mall, sells sauces, salsas, dressings and jams from $5 to $10 per bottle.

Buy condiments wholesale and save money

Most condiments are available from a wholesale supplier. Some condiment producers even offer their own manufactured products at wholesale prices. Some sites are open to the public, while others require you to register before you can see wholesale pricing.

I recommend: IBuyGourmet.com is a site that caters to food businesses with wholesale sauces, wholesale spreads and other condiments. A buyer must get approval and register with the site before seeing the wholesale prices. Foodservicedirect.com offers a menu of different condiments, including those in single serve packets, and includes prices for each product.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If purchasing main condiments like ketchup and mustard in bulk, check out large manufacturers such as Hunt's for good deals. Most main manufacturers will start a business account with restaurants and other food businesses.

Most restaurants or food service businesses rely upon condiment companies to provide food sauces and condiments that livens the flavors of many menu items. Condiments are available in a variety of portion sizes, and the amount a business orders depends upon the end users serviced.

Large size containers range from one-gallon containers of dipping sauces to large-scale containers holding several thousand pounds of a shelf-stable condiment. At the other end of the size spectrum are portion control condiment packaging ideal to accompany food consumed away from a restaurant or cafeteria. Some condiment producers not only sell condiments wholesale, they also develop new varieties to meet their customers’ needs. When looking to purchase condiments, spreads and sauces, consider these options:

1. Choose condiment producers with large enough quantities to provide adequate economies of scale.

2. Determine the best wholesale condiments to purchase individually wrapped to meet customer demand.

3. Develop innovative gourmet sauces and condiment spreads to attract new buyers and maintain current customer base.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose a condiment business offering large-scale sized containers

A variety of condiment companies produce and sell condiments wholesale in four-gallon buckets or packs of two to four one-gallon plastic containers.

I recommend: Order four-gallon buckets of common condiments restaurants used daily, like mustard, mayonnaise, salad dressing and barbecue sauce, from The WEBstaurant Store. They ship most orders within one business day. Cains Foods, L.P. not only offers huge scale condiments, spreads, and sauces in 2,000-pound totes, it also aids food service companies with menu development.

Use condiment companies selling small portion control condiments to service the on-the-go consumer

Many condiment producers package in smaller single serve containers for use with portable foods or to-go orders from restaurants.

I recommend: Litehouse Foods provides high quality dressings, gourmet sauces and condiments in small portion control sizes. In addition, this company offers a variety of food condiments, including organic offerings. Ordering commonly used condiments such as mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard individual packets in addition to gallon containers with pumps is possible through Southern Comfort Concession. Southern Comfort Concession sells individual packets by the case.

Work with condiment and sauce producers that add value to your business

Some suppliers do more than just provide standard condiments. They also help you development of new products and present your condiments in a manner that appeals to your customers.

I recommend: McClancey Seasonings Company builds upon its foundation in seasonings to aid clients in the creation of signature food condiments and food sauces. McClancey offers the choice to package your own recipe or to create a new recipe and package it for your business. Jean’s Restaurant Supply specializes in helping businesses with the presentation of condiment spread and sauces by selling a variety of squeeze bottles, pumps and racks.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  For optimal application of wholesale condiments, order condiments useable in several recipes, reducing the number of different condiments necessary and saving money on supply costs.

Quality and quantity can be conflicting subjects when dealing with wholesale condiments. If you're looking to purchase large quantities of a certain gourmet sauce or condiment, but don't want to give up on the quality of the product, some condiment education may be your best bet. Learn what to look for when buying condiments in bulk, and find out what types of condiments will last longer, store well or sell better.

With the proper training, you'll be able to recognize great quality food sauces, spreads and condiments by just looking at the ingredients and the product itself. The most effective training may actually come from food spread producers or the manufacturers themselves. They have years of experience with condiments, and they know what sells, what tastes good and what you need. Start by:

1. Finding condiment educational databases online for ease in training you and your staff members.

2. Utilizing condiments, spreads and sauces education and training from professionals in the field to advance your business's success.

3. Networking with other restaurant or concession owners to learn more about the condiments, spreads and sauces education and training they've utilized for their staff members.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use online databases to find condiments, spreads and sauces information

Sometimes training is as easy as a self-education if you look to the right resources. Use detailed government information and resources combined with additional resources from the leaders in condiment production and sales.

I recommend: Find condiment and sauces safety information at FoodSafety.gov. Combine the information with detailed resources about how to use condiments and sauces and current overall food trends to improve your overall business from Performance Food Group.

Get the expert opinions of condiment and sauce producers

Condiment companies know the business better than anyone. They know what people like and what they don't. Sauce and condiment producers also have extensive information about handling and care of condiments making them a great training resource.

I recommend: Get helpful condiments and sauces advice and tips from Kraft Food Service. From menu suggestions to plating tips, the business solutions section of Kraft Food's website offers a wide variety of information. Use the B & G Foods nutritional information section to compare different condiments.

Network with others looking for good quality condiment producers and education

When you're trying to find out the best ketchup, sauce or condiment spread to use in your restaurant, consider getting some hands-on training help from your peers. Join a national, state or local association of restaurateurs and ask for help.

I recommend: The best way to find a condiment business that you can depend on is to get involved with a group of restaurant or concession owners. Try joining the National Restaurant Association or the National Association of Concessionaires. These groups also provide links to state associations in your area. Another good group that could provide you with helpful information is the Association for Dressings and Sauces. The group is full of manufacturers and suppliers of sauces.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  While a national organization is a good place to get acquainted and find food condiments training materials, the fastest way to network and find others with similar problems and answers is to join a state or local association of restaurants.