Wholesale food suppliers play a pivotal role in the food supply chain. They sell high-quality products in bulk to outlets and retailers. Wholesalers mostly sell products in huge quantities, but they usually charge low prices by achieving economies of scale the more the production, the lower the cost.
Food wholesalers act as middlemen between retailers and customers. They mostly take big-to-medium-sized orders from retailers who then sell those products to end users (customers) at a higher price to earn profits.
Food wholesalers can also be manufacturers, growers, or processors. They sell to restaurants, convenience stores, bakeries, grocery shops, etc.
Consuming items such as dry fruits, dairy products, fresh produce, high-quality meat and cuts, organically grown food, beverages, and kitchen wares are supplied by food wholesalers.
How many food sellers do you know about? Well, here is a chance to learn about some of the best wholesale food suppliers for your retail store, superstore, restaurant, or grocery shop.
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What is a Wholesale Food Supplier?
Wholesale food suppliers are generally the middlemen, such as manufacturers, farmers, or processors, who supply food and related items in bulk at a discounted price to retailers. It is easy to place an order via phone, website, or app once you decide with whom to do business.
Wholesalers and retailers believe in building long-term relationships. Indeed, it saves time on restocking and creates convenience for the end user, ensuring the availability of their favorite products.
Most of the time, wholesalers are also suppliers. They deliver bulk food items such as dairy in temperature-controlled trucks that keep heat-sensitive foods fresh.
In addition to that, there are a few more businesses that work with wholesale food suppliers, such as:
- Retail stores.
- Grocery stores.
- Restaurants.
- Convenience stores.
- Food-based super stores.
- Multi-carrier dealers.
- Food on wheels (Trucks)
- Caterers.
Below are some of the best food wholesalers that have earned a reputation in the industry.
Top 37 Wholesale Food Suppliers
It is important to note that this isn’t official categorization or ranking; we have just assembled important information about the best in the wholesale food industry.
Sysco
Sysco is one of the industry’s largest and best wholesale food suppliers of fresh produce. Sysco delivers exceptional food items, including meat, dairy, and plant-based foods. They deliver to almost all industries, from retail, travel, leisure, government, healthcare, and senior living.
Gordon Food Service
Gordon Food Service is among the oldest wholesale brands serving its clients for over 125 years. They serve healthcare facilities with poultry, seafood, sauces, meats, vegetables, utensils, cleaning products, tea & coffee, and much more. Gordon Food Service is known to have various well-known brands under its name.
Dot Foods
With 15 locations worldwide, Dot Foods serves distributors, national account holders, and food processors. Their unique business model mainstreams the food supply chain for their customers, optimizing food access in fewer deliveries. They also provide 24/7 customer support to access over 125,000 products on their e-commerce website.
Reinhart Food Service
After being acquired in 2018, Reinhart Food Service is now known as Performance Food Group Company and caters to restaurants, hospitals, and schools. They provide over 200,000 products for their customers with complete kitchen solutions.
F&A Food Sales
F&A Food Sales provide various products for restaurants, cafes, and school lunch programs. With the latest trucks and temperature-controlled trailers, they claim to have a distribution center with over 2.2 million cubic feet under the roof. The company provides distribution to over 3,000 customers in eight states.
McLane Food Service
McLane is the biggest food and non-food wholesale provider. They have the biggest distribution network serving about 49,000 retail locations and catering to 36,500 chain restaurants. Some big brands that trust McLane Food Service are Walmart, 7-Eleven, and Yum!
CoffeeHouseExpress.com
CoffeeHouseExpress.com provides restaurants with tea and coffee products. They supply their products to offices, homes, and the hospitality industry. The best part, they offer free shipping for orders worth $60.00 or above in 48 U.S. states.
Coffee Wholesale USA
Coffee Wholesale USA is yet another coffee and tea supplier. They sell tea and coffee-related cups, filters, machines, and cakes to make your tea time special.
Farmer Brothers
Farmer Brothers serve over 60,000 food and beverage products in the U.S. They just celebrated their 110th birthday going from a startup in a bicycle garage to 115 branches worldwide. Their fastest and most personalized delivery distinguishes them from other food wholesalers.
Continental Ice Cream
Continental Ice Cream is a decadent chocolate and ice cream supplier with almost 128+ flavors, including dairy and vegan delicacies in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. They serve the public and industries. They’ve been serving the community with fresh hand-picked ingredients for 23 years.
Dutt & Wagner
Dutt & Wagner delivers a full line of eggs, beef, poultry, dairy, ice cream, frozen yogurt, deli, and packaging items. This family-owned, fourth-generation company serves local and international markets.
Frozen Dessert Supplies
Frozen Dessert Supplies have frozen desserts and eco-friendly supplies. Their product line includes cups, glasses, mixes, flavorings, and utensils. Their products are bright in color and Biodegradable.
KeHE Distributors
KeHE Distributors is a national food supplier of natural organic and specialty products. They encourage their customers to prioritize their health. In 2022 the company was recognized as the ”Best for the World brand’’.
Core-Mark Holding Co
Core-Mark Holding distributes fresh, chilled, and frozen food items. They have 32 distribution centers that own refrigerated docks. They possess 22 divisions in America, one of the largest wholesale food providers for convenience stores.
H.T. Hackney Co
H.T. Hackney Co is known as the industry leader in grocery supplies. They provide A-Z solutions for their business partners in today’s highly competitive environment. Their distribution centers stock 25,000+ products and help install retail technologies for requesting businesses.
Imperial/Harrison Supe, Elmwood
Imperial/Harrison Supe, Elmwood is 4th largest convenience store distributor with 5,000 retail locations across 19 states of the U.S. and the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico. They have partnered with 300 manufacturers to serve their customers with efficiency.
Super Wholesale USA
Super wholesale USA is based in New York and offers worldwide shipping. They offer tax-free and same-day delivery by placing an order with a few clicks. They deal in various categories – health and skin, medicines, beverages, snacks, batteries, and general items.
Royal Wholesale
Royal Wholesale is a bulk candy and chocolate store serving customers who crave sweets. They sell wholesale sweets to vendors and companies in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Their thermal climate control facility keeps the sweets fresh and well-flavored.
Elmwood Inn Fine Teas
Elmwood Inn Fine Teas offers a variety of teas for every taste palette, along with beautiful tea-pouring pots and cups. They are in Danville, Kentucky, offerings over 150 single-estate and blended teas. They bring intoxicating teas with exotic scents from the world’s finest gardens.
TeaSource
TeaSource provides high-quality tea from all parts of the world. In 2019, the wholesale shop also received the ‘’Best Specialty Tea Brand” award at the World Tea Expo. They have a unique website showing tea herbs up close for a personalized shopping experience.
Divinitea
Divinitea is a certified organic loose tea supplier based in New York. Their unique tea blends are handcrafted in-house using carefully sourced organic teas, herbs, and spices. They are certified by USDA National Organic Program and NOFA-NY.
Dream Chocolate
Dream Chocolate Company was founded in 2002, but they have built a reputation for making chocolates in a socially responsible way. They sell in bulk as well as take orders for custom manufacturing. Their product line also includes organic raw and all-natural chocolate bars.
Landies Candies
Landies Candies guarantees its products’ quality, freshness, and presentation. They serve all niches, from milk chocolate lovers to pretzel-coated peanut butter chocolates. They offer customers a sampler pack to explore their favorite flavors.
USACandyWholesale.com
USA Candy is a colorful store featuring your favorite candies in bulk. You can shop for candy, lollipops, gum, and mints, to mention a few.
Candy Favorites.com
Candy Favorites.com supplies candy of the highest standards with reasonable prices and exceptional customer care. They’ve been supplying candy for 96 years to some of the finest names, including Walt Disney, Universal Studios, the American Embassy, Nickelodeon Children’s Network, and Pepsi.
Candy Warehouse
Candy Warehouse is an online bulk candy store of wrapped and unwrapped assortments and a vast collection of over 6000 fresh candies. The company is in Long Beach, California, with distribution centers in Charlotte, NC.
CoffeeUSA (wholesale beverage)
Coffee USA serves freshly roasted coffee and single-serve K-Cups and Pods. It has a tasteful range of coffee, tea, cakes, and related supplies. They serve the best K-cups and stress-free cleaning equipment for your coffee cups.
NoltPak
NoltPak is a family-operated business that makes customized K-cups. The certified Organic coffee co-packers take care of everything from cups, cases, lids, and filters. They are a small home-fashion-style company offering minimum and competitive prices. The company also makes private labels for stores, hotels, coffee shops, and more.
Coffee For Less
Coffee For Less is another coffee beverage supply chain like brewers and accessories. They have a reward-earning system through shopping. They have partnered with some of the top brands for coffee lovers.
Door County
Door County is located in Carlsville, the heart of Door County. They have more than 100 coffee flavors that they roast and ship fresh to restaurants daily. They don’t inspire to be big but are amongst the best coffee suppliers. Their website showcases all kinds of brews to order online.
Ocean Seafood Depot
Ocean Seafood Depot is a fresh and frozen wholesale supplier. They’ve been in business for 20 years providing excellent service and fresh seafood. The company is trusted in New Jersey for its strict quality control procedures.
The Lobster Guy
The Lobster Guy provides its customers with fresh and best-priced lobsters, shrimps, and scallops. The website also displays recipes for seafood lovers to cook for themselves and it is named the best seafood company by its customer reviews.
Golden Barrel
Golden Barrel supplies commercial and household baking ingredients in bulk. These ingredients include sweeteners, molasses, mixes, organic products, etc.
Bakers Authority
Bakers Authority is a giant baking supply wholesaler with 100 years in business and is growing every day. They offer almost everything related to baking, such as tools, packaging, decorations, sweeteners, and all organic and gluten-free ingredients.
RoundEye Supply
RoundEye Supply, a food service company, has a comprehensive list of supplies. They cover everything from wholesale food items and restaurant items to kitchen supplies. They have served homes and industries for over 50 years. RoundEye Supply is a BBB-accredited business and five stars rated shoppers-approved certificate holder.
King Arthur
Since 2004, King Arthur has been a wholesale baking supply company 100% owned by employees. Everyone works hard for the company because they are not working for the company but for themselves. King Arthur is a baking shop, academy, and full e-commerce store selling tools, mugs, and apparel.
Avalon Deco Supplies
Avalon Deco has been a supplier of wholesale cake decorations for over 15 years. They have many sugar flowers, icing roses, wedding caking supplies, cupcake decorations, and more. They sell cake decorations to baking stores; no B2C selling.
These were some of the top wholesale food suppliers; let us know if we missed anyone.
