If you are in the food service business, chances are good there are several items on your menu that adding fruit jam and fruit jelly would enhance. Jam is a puree that contains both the juice and pieces of the fruit flesh. Jelly is a fruit spread made only with the juice. Although most commonly made with fruit, both jam and jelly are sometimes made with vegetables.
In addition to standard fare grape and strawberry jam and jelly, there is a wide range of flavors available in the commercial market. For even more flavor variety, consider gourmet jams and jellies. When choosing jam and jelly brands and flavors for your business, consider the following:
1. Fruit preserves and jelly are the same thing.
2. Brand recognition often works in your favor.
3. Less well known flavors should be tested in small quantity.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Consider jam and jelly brands
When choosing traditional fruit jams and jelly for use in your business, customers feel comfortable with brands that they know. In the gourmet line, brand recognition may not be as important as flavor.
I recommend: Welch's has limited their jam and jelly production to grape and strawberry, using only the fruit that they grow. Their name is popular with these two flavors. They encourage business from businesses through their line of bulk sales and food service.
Smuckers is also well known in the jam and jelly industry. They offer a large line of jams, jellies, fruit spreads, and fruit butter in many flavors.
Locate a jam and jelly distributor
You can locate a local jelly and jam distributor, by looking in the yellow pages of your local phone book under food or grocery distributors. These products are also most likely available from the company that is currently supplying your other condiment needs.
I recommend: If you have a local wholesale club, such as
BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc. or
Costco Wholesale Corporation in your area, they both carry jelly and jam in traditional flavors such as strawberry and grape.
Find jams and jelly wholesalers for specialty products
For more specialized products such as gourmet jams and jellies, low sugar and sugar free choices, and organic products you may need to look out of your immediate area and have your product shipped to your business. There are many businesses online selling wholesale jams and jellies.
I recommend: Jams -N- Bread has a wide range of flavors in regular, low sugar and sugar free; everything from traditional strawberry to exotic kiwi.
Blessing Times Jams and Jellies has some real taste tempters in their line. Mountain Blue Berry and Wild Plum are just two of their specialties.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- When introducing an unusual or exotic flavor of jam and jelly to your customers, it is always a good idea to give away taste samples. A small amount of mango, kiwi or banana jelly spread on a saltine cracker might be the best marketing tool you can use.
The official source of Jam and Jelly is the Jam and Jelly page at Business.com
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