Posted by Gerard on March 16, 1999 at 18:32:04:
In Reply to: How about generic baking ingredients? posted by Jordan on March 15, 1999 at 15:45:30:
What are generic ingredients?
You must be talking about retail supermkt ingredients, don't even think about it.
Unsalted butter is quite cheap now compared to 3 months ago.
At least get yourself to one of the wholesale buyers club such as Costco or BJ's, I bought 6 lbs of salted butter for $12.
Flour is approx $11 for 50lbs.
If you make choc chip cookies for wholesale accounts be leery of chocolate prices, nestle' chips are OK for a cookie, if you want to make a premium cookie then you're stuck with premium prices and might not be able to pass it on to the customer.
Look in your local yellow pages for bakery suppliers and go see what they carry.
Also, jumbo cookies can create problems, breakage.
You might sell more if they are kept to a sensible proportion.
3-4 inch diamter, that way the retailer can sell them for $1 and that allows you to get .60....now you can establish a cost target for yourself of .10-.15 cents each.
If it goes over .15 per cookie you need to take another look at how you're doing everything.
Bigger isn't better, its just bigger.
Better is better, not necessarily bigger though.
My guess is you'll have to go 50/50 on the butter and use less than fancy choc to get your cost in line, wholesaling is no picnic but if done correctly theres an unlimited mkt out there.
Regards, Gerard