Food and beverage brokers bring wholesalers and retailers more than food stuffs. Working with food service brokers you will get information on trends in your local food market and sales and marketing expertise — adding up to bigger profits.

By working with food and beverage brokers, wholesalers need not hire a sales force of their own because the brokers include that with their service. This is why food broker jobs such as sales, marketing and inventory control actually save retailers and wholesalers those expenses.

1. Food brokers working in specific locations supply wholesalers and retailers with a large number of products.

2. Food brokers provide international and national foods. There are gourmet food brokers and as well as other niche brokers.

3. Food service brokers save wholesalers and retailers money by using their sales and marketing teams to set up displays, identify new markets and products and keep inventory stock up to date.

Action Steps
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Find food and beverage brokers that service your area

Find a reputable food and beverage broker using directories published by food service associations. You can use the expertise of your broker to stock your inventory, give you marketing ideas and information to expand your customer base.

I recommend: Food and Beverage Market Place is a database with a listing of 12,000 industry suppliers. You have to register to use it. Food Brokers USA is another database, which claims to be the biggest food broker directory in the States.

Find beverage brokers for your retail or wholesale company

Using the right beverage broker can open up new sales with products you might not have considered. There are good number of beverage broker associations in the US that specialize in alcohol-based liquids, bottled water, coffee and soft drinks -- you just need to find one that works in your area.

I recommend: Coffee Brokers requires registration and then you can access coffee brokers in your area. Wine-Searcher is a good resource for finding wine brokers that service your location. Beverage Industry is a free trade magazine that contains information on beverage brokers; registration is simple.

Get in touch with food brokers who bring you to market in more ways than one

Food brokers can supply retailers and wholesalers with food and marketing expertise.

I recommend: Crossmark is a food brokerage with a sophisticated marketing team that will provide you with information on emerging trends and provide food displays to name two components of its business. Prestige Food is a New York-based food service broker that has its own marketing agency for working with retail and wholesale customers.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you want a career in food brokering, food broker jobs require a high school diploma. Sales experience of any kind is suggested. Working with food, in the retail or wholesale market beforehand, is another suggestion for help in getting a job.

Food and beverage brokers who offer a variety of services will be more likely to benefit you. Some food service brokers are highly specialized and may not be able to meet all of your business needs. By looking for food brokers or beverage brokers who have a wide variety of products and services, you're more likely to be satisfied with their services long-term.

Evaluate your current food and beverage needs and how well those needs are being met. Consider what changes you'd like to see implemented and when you're comparing various food service brokers, utilize that information to help you find what you need and avoid paying for what you don't need or don't use. Remember to:

1. Take into account the challenges of perishable foods.

2. Use food brokers who work with qualified packers and suppliers.

3. Review the product lines offered through food service brokers.

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Know how retail food brokers handle perishable foods

From fruits and vegetables to seafood and dairy products, perishable product lines require special handling and care to guarantee not only the quality you're after, but also the safety of those you serve. Make sure you consider the transportation methods and storage methods of the food service broker you're interested in utilizing.

I recommend: Look for brokers who have a reputation for quality when handling perishable food items. Sunny Morning specializes in perishable foods. Prestige is just as well known for delivering exceptional perishable products.

Choose food brokers you can trust

Whether you're dealing with national food brokers or international food brokers, make sure the suppliers and packers they depend upon are companies you're comfortable depending upon. Food broker jobs and the people that fill them change frequently. By choosing to work with familiar names, you know the quality and reliability of your services.

I recommend: Feenix Brokerage Ltd. uses suppliers and packers with a reputation of quality and reliability such as Hickory Farms and Great Lakes Cheeses. CEB Co. works with Ben Franklin Foods and Carhill Meat Solutions, as well as other well known companies, assuring their customers of the quality of their products.

Consider the variety your food and beverage food broker offers

There will be times when you want something special or unique and you don't' want to have to find a new broker to fill those needs. Look for food brokerage firms who have a wide variety in their product lines to help you meet your daily needs and your more unusual needs as well.

I recommend: Both Scott Marketing Group and Food Sales Systems offer product lines that are designed to fit all of your business needs. From the unusual and exotic to the every day basics that provide comfort, both have product lines you can rely on for your needs. Their food broker jobs are filled with quality product lines in mind.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider working with food and beverage brokers who will purchase and remove your surplus products. Such services will allow you to recoup your money from unused products.

Food and beverage brokers supply chain and independent wholesalers and retail stores. Although the products they sell can come from all over, food brokers work in certain geographical areas. A high school education is required for food broker jobs. A food brokerage uses sales people to work with wholesalers and retailers. Wholesalers and retailers prefer working with a food and beverage broker because it frees them up from dealing with individual manufacturers.

Food service brokers help retailers and wholesalers with their sales, suggesting marketing and placement of products and new products to invest in.

1. Food brokers work in one geographic location, although their supplies can come from anywhere.

2. Suppliers and producers of food and beverage prefer using brokers to sell their products. It saves them from having to use their own sales forces.

3. Food and beverage brokers keep their customers up on market conditions and help drive up their sales through marketing.

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Get an overview of food and beverage brokers basics

National food brokers and beverage brokers have their own trade associations that provide information on all aspects of the food, including technology solutions, transportation issues, as well as changes in laws affecting the market. Trade associations keep a close eye on the economic conditions affecting their businesses.

I recommend: The Broker Management Council is a group of food service brokers who share information to the mutual advantage of all members. It's a good source of information on the food service industry. The American Beverage Association is a trade organization that keeps beverage brokers informed of trends, changes in legislation and business information.

Look at specialized food and beverage brokers

Understanding food and beverage brokers basics means looking at different types of food brokerages or beverage brokerages, some of which are specialized. A food broker suggests new products that wholesalers and retailers can market successfully.

I recommend: Blue Ridge Food Brokers & Consultants is one of a number of gourmet food brokers which sells high-end products with sophisticated marketing. Ginseng Up is a beverage broker specializing in ginseng-based non-alcoholic beverages.

Find out more about food and beverage brokers

There are many aspects to food and beverage brokering, as well as market niches for food brokers. Get informed about the different brokerages that service your location.

I recommend: Grey House Publishing is a reference publisher with the most up-to-date and comprehensive book on the food brokerage industry. There are food brokerage databases available online, too. Export Solutions is a food brokerage company supplying supermarkets with frozen food, snacks and beverages from around the world -- its product offerings reveal what wholesalers and retailers are looking for.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  It is suggested that food broker jobs require previous sales experience and food retail experience. In 2004, yearly compensation was around 46K.

Food and beverage brokers key terms should help you get the most out of your contacts with food brokers. Food and beverage brokers sell to wholesalers and retailers. Cultivating a good relationship with them can bring many rewards such as superior service and food products. Finding the right food or beverage broker for your needs is paramount for having a successful business, whether as a restaurant owner, chef, retailer, or hotel owner.

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Food brokers

Food brokers buy food from the manufacturers and producers of food and then sell it to wholesalers and retailers.

I recommend: In-depth definition of a food broker's job from StateUniversity.com is helpful and informative.

Beverage broker

A beverage broker can sell such things as imported tea, soft drinks and alcohol products.

I recommend: View an example of what beverage brokers can provide at BevNet.

Wholesale and retail

The terms wholesale and retail are important to the procurement of food and beverages. A food or beverage broker can sell foodstuffs to a wholesaler, who could then sell it a retailer. But a food or beverage broker can also sell directly to a retailer. Most likely, this occurs when the retailer is a big food or beverage chain. Food and beverage brokers can also sell to distributors.

I recommend: The differences between wholesale and retail are explained clearly at Reference.com.

Food and beverage trade associations

Trade associations are important to food and beverage brokers because it gives them opportunities to show their products and see what the competition is doing.

I recommend: The food and beverage industry has many trade associations that are specific to a kind of food and beverage. Careers in Food provides a sampling of the trade associations that fall under the umbrella of food and beverages.

Supply chain

Food and beverage brokers are part of the supply chain that brings food and beverages from manufacturers and ultimately to your table.

I recommend: Food Marketing Institute gives the definition for supply chain and how it should optimally work.

Food brokers as salespeople

Food brokers can offer manufacturers something very close to being a salesperson on behalf of the manufacturer or producer. This is a mutually beneficial situation. It saves the producer or manufacturer from having to hire a sales force and it allows the broker use his expertise and knowledge about where product should be placed.

I recommend: View this article from Associated Content that describes benefits of food brokers and manufacturers and sales.