How to switch produce suppliers without disrupting service.
Quick answer
Switch in stages. Get a line-by-line quote on your current invoice, move your heaviest lines first, and keep your old supplier for the rest while you check the new one. Compare every delivery against the invoice before you move more. A staged switch lets you confirm quality and timing before you commit your whole order.
How do you start a supplier switch?
Pull your most recent produce invoice and send it to the new supplier for a quote on the same items. Do not ask for a general price list. A line-by-line quote tells you what the switch is actually worth for your kitchen.
Which items should you move first?
Move the lines that make up most of your spend and are easiest to judge on arrival, such as onions, tomatoes, potatoes and lemons. Leave delicate items and specialty orders with your current supplier until the first deliveries have gone well.
What should you check on the first deliveries?
- Did the truck arrive inside the agreed window?
- Do the weights and counts match the invoice?
- Is the product the grade you were quoted?
- Were any substitutions flagged before delivery?
- If something was wrong, how quickly and how well was it fixed?
When do you move the rest of the order?
After two or three clean weeks. If the new supplier handled a problem well, that tells you more than a perfect week would. Then move the next group of items, and keep checking.
Common questions
Will my current supplier be upset if I switch?
A business relationship that depends on you not comparing prices is not much of a relationship. Switching in stages also lets you keep the relationship while you decide.
How long does a switch take?
A staged switch usually takes a few weeks, depending on how many lines you move and how cautious you want to be.