We created Wayzata Bay Spice Company in Wayzata, Minnesota, because it was frustrating for us to find gourmet-quality spices and herbs. We went to local grocery stores and co-ops, but were disappointed with the quality of the spice products – especially the spice blends. Leaving the corporate world behind, we started our spice shop. As the customers and sales increased, we built a bottling area within the retail store to insure the freshness and quality of our products. When we decided to focus on wholesale, we rented offsite space. Eventually, we built our own manufacturing facility.
We deal directly with importers, exporters and specialty distributors to find spices and herbs that are clearly superior to grocery store brands. You’ll find that our wholesale prices are in line with, or below, nation-wide spice providers with products inferior to ours.
Wayzata Bay Spice Company has a business philosophy that revolves around customer satisfaction. Whether working with a private-label customer, a corporate purchasing agent or a specialty shop manager that sells the Wayzata Bay Spice Company line, our goal is to delight our customers with service and products that are clearly superior. We aim for unique and personalized when we create gifts for customers. We use spices in favors and centerpieces for special events; for sales promotions and “give-a-ways” at trade conventions; corporate gifts; and a variety of personal gifts, from wedding showers to hostess gifts. People remember a spice gift for a long time because it is unique, it usually lasts a long time and it involves four senses: taste, smell, touch and sight. We can also custom-label our products, so you have the additional opportunity to carry your own special message.
You will find our name mentioned in Professional Cooking and Professional Baking by Wayne Gisslen. These books are the most purchased cooking texts for culinary students and chefs-in-training throughout the world, and are required by Le Cordon Bleu’s cooking schools. Wayne uses our spices due to our uncompromising quality. It is clear that Wayzata Bay Spice Company products are first rate, which is reason enough to work with us for your new line of spices or your promotion. Why else have companies enjoyed working with us? In a word: expertise. When you work with Wayzata Bay Spice Company, you get much more than a company that only knows spices and food. Jane and Jay have over 50 years of business experience between them. Jane earned a B.A. in English and a Master’s degree in Psychology. She is an expert at planning promotions and creating “hooks” – connections between your event and our products. Jay has a B.A. in Business Management and a M.B.A., both with an emphasis in finance. He can assist with any financial details related to your project. Jane and Jay share the task of working with customers and creating new blends, enabling them to offer subjective support and build off of each others strengths.
We currently supply several gourmet and kitchen shops, restaurants, bakeries and country clubs in the Midwest with their products. Private-label customers include such well-know businesses as Lund Food Holdings (Lunds and Byerly’s grocery stores), Hazeltine National Golf Club, Healthy Heart Market (noted low-sodium food retailer) and Coastal Seafoods (retailer and wholesaler of the finest seafood in Minnesota). There are also dozens of retailers and business that purchase our products in the Wayzata Bay Spice Company label. All of our customers appreciate our attention to detail. We still blend by hand – literally – which gives us the ability to closely inspect quality. That’s just one more big advantage to working with a small, family-owned company.
We created Wayzata Bay Spice Company in Wayzata, Minnesota, because it was frustrating for us to find gourmet-quality spices and herbs. We went to local grocery stores and co-ops, but were disappointed with the quality of the spice products – especially the spice blends. Leaving the corporate world behind, we started our spice shop. As the customers and sales increased, we built a bottling area within the retail store to insure the freshness and quality of our products. When we decided to focus on wholesale, we rented offsite space. Eventually, we built our own manufacturing facility.