Artisan Food Wholesale Buyer

Gourmet chocolates, gluten-free crackers, non-dairy yogurt—the sales of specialty foods have exploded in the marketplace. With new ways to identify food allergies, people looking for healthier food options, and the awareness of how certain types of food help or hinder our bodies, grocery stores are being loaded with fresh, organic, vegan, vegetarian, and non-dairy options. Artisan Food Wholesale Buyers (also known as Specialty Food Wholesale Buyers) are the people who track down and purchase those products long before they reach consumer hands.

As an Artisan Food Wholesale Buyer, you make purchases in the name of a wholesaler, who then resells the merchandise to retail chains and restaurants at the retail level. It’s no easy task to track down the crème de la crème of specialty food products, so you travel to trade shows to scout out the newest options. Depending on the products you’re looking for, your job as an Artisan Food Wholesale Buyer might land you in the remote rainforests of South America or have you searching for specialty spices in India.

If travel isn’t your passion, you could seek out sellers at a regional level, too. Wherever you track down those soon-to-be-famous cookies, candies, or crackers, you put your Investigator skills to work. That’s because each product must pass FDA muster, have accurate labels, and contain readable bar codes. When you find products that you’re sure your wholesalers are going to love, you negotiate a contract that includes delivery specifications, quantities, and price.