Wholesale Nuts And Dried Fruit 2024: In a Nutshell

DeliveryRank chats with Matthew Baron, CEO of Wholesale Nuts And Dried Fruit. Matthew Baron is the President & CEO of Wholesale Nuts And Dried Fruit, an online retailer specializing in nuts, dried fruit, and seeds. With decades of experience in eCommerce and SEO, he is an expert in boosting small business visibility.

The idea for Wholesale Nuts And Dried Fruit stemmed from Matthew’s experience in selling fresh, bulk products and a growing demand for eco-friendly options. He built the company to meet this need.

Matthew, what inspired Wholesale Nuts And Dried Fruit to prioritize freshness and minimal additives in its products?

About ten years ago, I found myself grappling with Type 2 diabetes. I had been consuming sugary foods and drinking alcohol regularly, which left me feeling constantly fatigued. I was in a relationship with someone who seemed to have the opposite experience. They would drink, get energized, and be ready for the night, while I found myself questioning the effects of just a single glass of wine. This marked the beginning of my awareness of how much my diet and lifestyle were impacting my health.

I soon realized it was crucial to stay away from sugar and additives. I began to notice skin irritations caused by food coloring and chemicals in the foods I was consuming. This led me to dive deeper into understanding how the body works. Before this, I had a general understanding of fitness, gym routines, and nutrition, but I hadn’t yet grasped the complexities of how chemicals and food processing affect our health. As I explored more, I was struck by the lack of truly healthy food options.

The moment that sparked the idea for my business was when I purchased a 25-pound box of pasta. Inside, there were 25 individual one-pound bags of pasta, each wrapped in its own plastic packaging. I was stunned by the sheer waste of it all. To me, it seemed both extravagant and utterly unnecessary. I’ve always believed in the importance of reducing waste, and packaging, in particular, felt like an avoidable expense. I knew that I wanted to find a better way, one that aligned with both my values and my growing commitment to health. This experience served as the catalyst that set me on the path of creating a business centered around more sustainable, health-conscious solutions.

How does the company ensure quality and consistency in large bulk shipments, especially for items like dried fruit and nuts?

We make a concerted effort to collaborate with American farmers, particularly those in regions like California, Georgia, and Texas. When a customer places a large enough order, we can have the product packed directly at the farmer’s facility, which allows us to streamline the process. This approach ensures that the product gets to our customers quickly, often shipped directly from the farm, without the delays that come with long storage times.

Most people don’t realize just how fresh nuts and dried fruit can be, as they’re often stored for long periods before reaching stores. For example, some dried fruit may sit in storage for a week or two before they’re shipped out. However, with our system, we can offer much faster delivery. Dry blueberries from Washington State and cranberries from Massachusetts are good examples of products that can be sent out quickly. Though they have specific seasons, we ensure that the product doesn’t lose its quality in the process.

Our goal is to provide fresh, flavorful products, not those that have been frozen or freeze-dried, which can sometimes result in a candy-like, overly sweet taste. We want to preserve the natural, fresh flavor, offering the best experience for our customers.

Tracking is absolutely vital in the food business. If something were to go wrong, such as a pathogen or contamination in a shipment, I need to be able to quickly trace and pull it back. Fortunately, this has never happened with our products, though larger companies like Walmart and Giant have dealt with issues like salmonella outbreaks in the past. The freshness of our products plays a huge role in minimizing risk—because our items don't sit around for long, only the cleanest products make it into the box. I don’t deal with millions of pounds of product; instead, I manage thousands of accounts, which allows for more control and precision.

Can you describe the process behind selecting farmers and sourcing nuts, seeds, and dried fruit from both American and international suppliers?

We don’t focus on a specific farm for our products. For example, there are hundreds of blueberry farms in Washington State, and many states produce pecans. We maintain relationships with various farmers across different regions. If a customer ever asks for more detailed information about where their product came from, I can provide them with the name and phone number of the specific farmer, even allowing them to contact the farm directly. Some people have very specific questions, like those about fertilizers or whether cashews have been in contact with peanuts, and I’m happy to address those inquiries.

What challenges and benefits come with offering bulk, raw, and roasted options for seeds and nuts?

I rarely face challenges with product returns because customers typically get exactly what they ordered. I also cover the cost of returns, though I get very few—shipping a 25-pound box costs around $25, so the price is reasonable. I want to be there for my customers, and I’m glad I can offer them products they love and rely on. Some of them, like a customer who’s a big fan of quinoa, order in bulk because it’s something they eat a lot of. It feels great to be able to support them in that way.

I started the business about nine years ago, driven by my personal journey and desire to offer high-quality, fresh products to others.

How does Wholesale Nuts And Dried Fruit balance customer demands for variety with sustainability in sourcing?

We only pack boxes when orders come in, so my business operates with empty boxes until then. This approach makes things incredibly efficient and economical. By only shipping fresh products, I don’t need to keep large amounts of stock on hand. I only pack the items when someone places an order, ensuring that the food is as fresh as possible when it reaches them. This system allows us to streamline operations and minimize waste, while offering customers the highest quality product.

Wholesale Nuts And Dried Fruit emphasizes sourcing from both American and international farmers to ensure freshness and quality. Could you describe the specific criteria and process the company uses to select suppliers, and how it maintains quality control across different types of products, such as nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, especially given varying global standards?

About 30% of the products I sell come from international markets, with the remaining 70% sourced from within the United States. This means I constantly have to navigate shipping logistics, tariffs, and the varying global standards of cleanliness and product quality. For instance, many people don’t realize that cashews don’t grow in the U.S. and must be sourced from places like Vietnam, Brazil, India, and the Congo. These regions have the ideal climate and expertise to grow cashews far more efficiently than the U.S. could ever manage.

It’s fascinating because cashews have become a popular nut, replacing more expensive varieties. I could honestly write a book about them, as people really love them, and there’s a noticeable difference in taste when they’re fresh. This also extends to other international nuts. Take almonds for example — while California produces around 92% of the world’s almonds, Spanish almonds are on a completely different level in terms of flavor. Similarly, pine nuts from Italy are far superior to their Chinese counterparts, though they come at a premium price.

These quality differences really impact pricing, and I try to always factor in the price relative to the quality of the product. As for a dream setup, if I could have a page on my website selling Chinese pine nuts alongside Italian pine nuts, American almonds, and Spanish almonds, that would be amazing. Unfortunately, managing multiple suppliers for bulk orders with consistent quality and certifications, such as USDA organic and kosher, is complicated. Right now, I work with separate warehouses to handle these different certifications, and that complexity is more than enough to manage. But maybe in the future, as systems improve, I could offer a more expansive selection of international nuts on the same platform. That would be a dream!

If you would like to find more about Wholesale Nuts And Dried Fruit, please visit

https://WholesaleNutsAndDriedFruit.com
Seeds: https://wholesalenutsanddriedfruit.com/product-category/bulk-seeds/
Nuts: https://wholesalenutsanddriedfruit.com/product-category/bulk-nuts/
Dried fruit: https://wholesalenutsanddriedfruit.com/product-category/bulk-dried-fruit/.