Sourcing chocolate

[lapin d'or]

The Valrhona supplier I use in the UK has just bumped their prices up by about 10 percent - Gfron1's prices are much cheaper than I can get here for the same volume.

It makes me so jealous to see what a good range of european chocolate you can get in the US compared to my options in the UK.

I didn't think I would be able to use a 5kg pack quickly enough when I first started but I quickly found the cost of couriers made the larger packs better value and in good conditions they keep well. I just store in air-tight boxes in a cool dark room.

[gfron1]

They've never given me a price list, I just call. And they do seem to get testy the longer my list gets, but I let that be their problem not mine. I buy out of the LA office, since UPS ground is only 2 days from them to me.

[John DePaula]

They've never given me a price list, I just call.  And they do seem to get testy the longer my list gets, but I let that be their problem not mine.  I buy out of the LA office, since UPS ground is only 2 days from them to me.

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That's true! You have to request a quote for every little thing; what a waste of my time and theirs. Oh but wait, they stopped replying to my requests about the 2nd time I asked so neither one of us is wasting our time anymore... to them!

[Trishiad]

The nice thing about Qzina is that they deliver in my area for free if you meet the minimum.

[Chris Hennes]

The nice thing about Qzina is that they deliver in my area for free if you meet the minimum.

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Maybe a better tack is for me to just put up whatever prices we have readily available, and just use 'X's to mark the other stuff they have. I could do the same thing with several of the other wholesale distributors. The point of the pricing is just to compare sources, but I think a list of potential sources, even with missing pricing info, could be useful.

[gfron1]

My first questions are always: What is the minimum order, if any? And, Do you offer free shipping in a certain geographic area, or at a certain purchase level?

[paulraphael]

I think you are overestimating how much chocolate 5kg is: the box is maybe 4"x12"x16" or so (just a rough estimate) for the disks (rather than the blocks -- the block are probably half that). It's like two bags of flour or so. Also, chocolate keeps pretty well on its own, and if you use about a pound per recipe, you will go through it pretty quickly. I have three boxes (dark, milk and white) and just keep them in a closet in my tiny apartment.

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Yeah, I know I'd use it, but not all that fast. And it's more $$$ than I want to have tied up in chocolate investments!

Anyone in the NYC area want to split 5kg of Cluizel Los Anacones?

We can meet in a hotel room with a laboratory balance to divide it.

No guns, no wires

Edited January 25, 2008 by paulraphael (log)

[gfron1]

Just bought from Qzina (I sure hope they don't change the customer service that I've experienced so far - they've been great to me):

Callebaut Couv White Discs 44# for 178.60, but they broke it down for me into one 22# bag. That's .253/oz.

My shipping is still less than 10% which is very good for my location.

[Camano Chef]

I have had great success ordering from

Bill is truely a fine fellow and is very helpful as very competitive on prices.

If you are from the Seattle area he has a pickup arrangement that saves freight charges.

Hope this helps.

Phil

[pringle007]

Gourmail Never had a problem, always fast, friendly, and good prices with customer service reps that know their stuff!

[rio marie]

I've ordered both from Gourmail and Chocolateman from Seattle. I get my chocolate within 3 days from the Chocolateman being in the San Francisco Bay Area but with Gourmail it's about 2 weeks as they are on the east coast. What I like about Gourmail is the shipping is way cheap. It's a set price. $9.95 anything west of the Mississippi River. Prices are cheaper for their Valhourna but they have limited selection.....

[prairiegirl]

i am getting quite annoyed with all my suppliers as I find they all have to many middlemen and everyone wants their cut! The wholesale price of chocolate is getting ridiculous. I am seriously looking at bringing in my own container. Possibly next year. And maybe with Valrhona. I have alot of research to do on the import part of this and also I am very busy with getting my retail store up and running. Anyhow, I want to put a bug in people's ears because if I do this I will have lots of chocolate to move!!