Wholesale Pricing Sugar

[Amber Gold]

How do you wholesale price sugar? We have a restaurant we supply syrup to that's interested sugar. On the retail market, we sell 4oz shakers for $6 and 8oz for $10, but would sell them 1lb or 5lb bags of it. We make sugar out of what I consider to be commercial syrup (not full blown mersh, but not up to my standards for retail grade), so anything we get >$2/lb is a bonus and we have enough of this syrup to make about 200 lbs of sugar it.

[spud]

Josh,

Don't the people that buy your sugar turn it back to syrup by adding warm water? I thought it was you that said that one time. If so is the taste real good even though you are using commercial grade syrup?

Spud

[Amber Gold]

No, that was someone else. I know the thread you're talking about, but can't think of it. I haven't tried converting it back, but we use it for cooking and I think it has more flavor than sugar made from the lighter syrups. I figure if Bascom's going to do the same thing with my syrup, then I might as well too.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Josh,
Get Bascoms bulk sugar price and go from there. I'd think a local product should command a slightly higher price than Bascom's.

[Amber Gold]

Good idea. Bascom's @ $7.25 for a 1lb package and $34.50 for a 5lb package. I'll go slightly higher...say $10 for a 1lb package and $40 for a 5lb package.

[PerryFamily]

About how many gallons of syrup does it take to make 1 pound of granulated sugar?

[wiam]

According to Cornell's confections book 1lb of maple syrup makes .7lb of sugar

[spud]

That sounds right because someone here on Trader said a while back that a gallon of syrup make about 7 LBs of sugar.

Spud

[PerryFamily]

So 1gallon of syrup yields 7 pounds of granulated sugar at $2.75 per pound (e bascom price) which would gross $50.75.+/- (terrible at math ) or right around the price of the original retail gallon of syrup? Correct?

Other than opening up another market or customer base, is the effort and cost (e equipment, time) really worth it?

I may be off base but just curious

[Amber Gold]

I'm using syrup that I would consider to be commercial...so $22/gal and converting it into a product at wholesale worth ~$60/gal. It's pretty easy to make, and since we already have a kitchen aid stand mixer, no additional equipment required. It is pretty hard on the mixer though, so not sure how many more batches I'll get through it. I also made about 45 gal worth of this syrup, so I have the opportunity to make a lot of sugar, but I can only sell so much of it retail where I make a lot more per pound.

[PerryFamily]

Ambergold- Ahh I forgot to consider the commercial grade oart of the equation. In that case it seems like a great thing provided you have a market for the sugar. I also didnt realize you didn't NEED to have the expensive specialized equip. Something to think about for sure.
Thanks for the info

[GeneralStark]

I have sold some bulk sugar to bakers and customers that we're looking for larger quantities and in those cases I charged $10/lb. I have seen it for $16-$17/lb. bulk in natural food stores.

[ennismaple]

So 1gallon of syrup yields 7 pounds of granulated sugar at $2.75 per pound (e bascom price) which would gross $50.75.+/- (terrible at math ) or right around the price of the original retail gallon of syrup? Correct?

Other than opening up another market or customer base, is the effort and cost (e equipment, time) really worth it?

I may be off base but just curious

Perry - One benefit of producing granulated sugar is you can use the bits from the mold when you make sugar, butter that has separated or hardened, sugar leaves that have broken or have white spots and syrup odds and ends. It's a great way to make sure every last bit of sugar gets used!

[Moser's Maple]

I was the 1 earlier that had stated both I sell to restaurants to use as cooking and to reconstitute for table syrup. I was also the 1 that stated that you yield about 7 lbs per gallon of syrup @ 66 brix. yields change because of brix count, and how hard you boil to make your sugar (higher shrinkage the higher the temp)
We personally do not sell commercial grade sugar. now we will use commercial if the flavor is good, and blend with a dark med or light dark making sure that we stay within grade A standards. Because our vendors are not only using the sugar to sweeten dishes in granular form, but are also reconstituting into syrup form for weekend brunches we have to remain with the table grade standards. Our worst fear is somebody will ask where the syrup comes from and our name is mentioned, but the syrup doesn't meet flavor or color standards. Or if a inspector comes in and fines us because of substandard syrup (once it goes from granular back to liquid and served on a table as grade A that syrup must meet the standards) The trick is finding the proper blend so when the sugar is made back into syrup that it will meet table grade standards.
As for a kitchen aid mixer I would higher advise staying away from using 1 unless you only use it for small amounts. constant use will only result in buying your honey a new kitchen aid mixer and a $300+ dent in your pocket. I have been told if it's an old kitchen aid that has Hobart on the label then these do hold up, but for me personally I wouldn't take the chance. What I use is a old turn table cream machine to do all my sugar. Now I realize this is about a $1000 difference between a new kitchen aid and a cream machine, but with the creamer you can now make 2 value added products with the same machine.
So this is how my routine would go in the days before I purchased a steam kettle.
lets say I get home at 5pm
put 2 gallons of syrup in tall ss pot and start boiling
5:45-6:00 pull off at 232 and pour 1 gallon in separate cream pan and give an ice bath
leave other gallon on stove to boil to 270 ish??? 6:30
take syrup off pour into cream pan and start up the machine
6:40-6:45 pour sugar out an start sifting clumps and grinding don't big chunks
7:00 place sugar in oven on low just to make sure if will not clump for 10 minutes
check cream temp and if below 100 start stirring to make cream
7:45- 8:00 shut off machine, package cream,
8:30 sit down and relax for evening.
3.5 hours yields roughly 15 lbs in value added
7 lbs of sugar @ $9/lb that will make guaranteed grade A syrup
8 lbs of cream @ $10/lb
my area a gallon typically sells for $40/gal
2 x 40 = $80
9x7= 63
8x10=80
total 143
subtract 80 for 2 gallons used
63 left over
divide by 3.5 hrs
$18/hr before expenses, but not a full 3.5 hrs worked
now this is just what I use to use as my calculations, I didn't subtract cost of containers for syrup or cream, or sugar, but I always figured just about 18-20/hr to up grade to value added......it can work more in my favor if I can blend some good tasting B into the mix
As they say "tap for show, value added for dough"
I hope this was helpful

[Moser's Maple]

I forgot to mention $40 is retail not wholesale
so at wholesale you're making even more
11lbs/gal
2.75/lb
total 30.25/gallon
60.50 for 2 gallons
a difference of $19.50
which would be an additional $5.57/ per hour
so now your talking between 23.50- 25.50 per hour for value added