Products and Packaging Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Q: How many gourmet and specialty foods do you offer?

A: We offer literally thousands of "hard-to-find" gourmet foods and specialty foods, sourced from some of the finest producers around the world.  It's hard to put an exact figure on the number of gourmet and specialty foods that we carry, as our inventory levels vary throughout the year.  As well, we are always adjusting our products to carry "just the right mix" of new and exciting items and our-best-selling "everyday gourmet" items.


Q: Do you produce some of the these gourmet foods?

A: While we distribute many other companies' fine products, there are many gourmet foods that we manufacture and are available exclusively on our site.


Q: Where do you sell your gourmet foods?

A: When we started our company in 1993, we knew that we wanted to offer our gourmet foods exclusively to gourmet shops, gift shops and gift basket packers.  We started with the specialty retailers near our town and it's just grown from there!  We now deal with over 3,000 stores in all 13 provinces & territories in Canada and all 50 United States.  Our customer base has grown from gourmet, gift and basket shops to include cataloguers, mail order companies, home party companies, online retail stores, department stores, wineries, fruit markets and delicatessens, among many others.


Q: Do you carry refrigerated gourmet and specialty foods?

A: No, all of our products are shelf-stable.


Q: What is the shelf life of your products?

A: Every product is different from a shelf-life perspective.  Generally speaking, however, we offer only those products with a minimum shelf life of 6 - 9 months.  Many of our products have a shelf life significantly longer than this.  The shelf life of each product is stated within the product details.  Due to the significant sales volume that epicureanfoods.com does, our inventory turns very quickly and is always very "fresh".


Q: Are these gourmet and specialty food products "natural"?

A: Different people have different ideas about what is "natural" and what is not!  Not all, but an overwhelming percentage of our products are free of chemicals, herbicides, pesticides, additives, fillers, emulsifiers and preservatives.  Wherever possible, we've selected specialty gourmet food items that have "clean" ingredient lists.  If, in our world-wide travels for new suppliers, we have a choice between two suppliers with comparable products but the first supplier's products are more "natural" than the second supplier's, we will select the first supplier's.  We classify each product in our selection if it "Natural" or not.  As such, it is easy to search for and find "Natural" products on our website.  (Generally, if there are any chemicals, additives or preservatives in the ingredient list, we do not classify it as "Natural".)  


Q: Are these gourmet food products organic?

A: Yes, as the world-wide demand for organic foods grows, so too does the number of organic products that we offer.  We are regularly adding more and more organic foods.  We plan to continue this trend into the foreseeable future.  All of the products that we are offer on epicureanfoods.com are classified as "Organic" or not.


Q: Do You offer gluten-free products?

A: As the demand for gluten-free foods grows daily, so too do our offerings for this specialized category.  At the urging of many of our customers, we continue to add more gluten-free products.  Each of the gourmet and specialty foods that we offer is classified as "Gluten-Free" or not.


Q: Are your products kosher?

A: Increasingly, we are adding more and more kosher products, simply because there is so much demand for them!  If a product is kosher, it is identified as such and can be easily searched for in our our large portfolio of products.  


Q: Do you have gourmet and specialty foods that are appropriate for diabetics (i.e. are sugar-free)?

A: Yes, we carry an increasing number of sugar-free (i.e sugar added) products.  Our customers have been asking for them for several years, so we have been searching for appropriate items that fit our criteria for listing.  We are always adding new items in this category and each item is classified as "Sugar Free" or not.


Q: Do you carry foods suitable for people on a vegan diet?

A: Yes, as we continue to grow our portfolio of gourmet and specialty foods, we are regularly adding items that are ideal for a vegan diet.  Each product that we classified as suitable for a vegan diet or not, for easy reference.


Q: Do you "private label" your foods?

A: Yes, we private label our foods.  We are very familiar with many of the food labeling requirements in both Canada and America.  If "private labeling" is of interest, you should contact one of our Customer Care Associates at 1-800-267-0805, extension 22 to discuss the possibilities further.  However, please be advised that the minimum quantities (and funds!) required to develop a "private label" can be very large (i.e. the minimum order size for our private label program is approximately 1,000 units per item.)  Regretfully, we are unable to process smaller orders.


Q: Who selects the products that you carry?

A: We do!  As the owners of the company, we have been involved in the fine wine and fine food business since approximately 1985.  We have been fortunate in that we have had the opportunity to travel to many countries in the world and to experience first-hand the wonderful products that our artisanal producers are creating.  As well, we travel to industry Trade Shows around the globe and constantly discover exciting new products.  We seek exciting new products, in the fastest-growing categories.  We try to work with producers who obviously have a passion for their work.  As such, it is rare that you will find any of the products that we carry available in the "mass market", but rather, they are found only in the specialty food channel.  

Finally, we pride ourselves on not being "Food Snobs".  While there are some products that are of interest to only the most sophisticated of palates, we believe that foods and wines are meant to be experimented with and thoroughly enjoyed.  Life is too short to eat poor food or drink poor wine!  Some of the gourmet foods that we offer have a "fun & funky" look, while others are "elegant and upscale".  We have gourmet foods with a "country" look and others have an "urban" look.  Some appeal to a younger market, while others are targeted at an older audience and / or demographic.  We have something for almost everyone and every market!


Q: Can I buy a Mixed Case?

A: Unfortunately, you cannot buy a "Mixed Case" of virtually all of the products that we offer.  Regretfully, the huge handling costs make it impossible to do so.


Q: What is a "Master Case"?

A: In order to sell their products as inexpensively as possible, many gourmet food suppliers pack their products in cases of 12 to 48 units (or more). At epicureanfoods.com, we call this a "Master Case". It is definitely the most economical way to purchase your inventory.  You can purchase virtually all of our gourmet foods and gift basket supplies from us in a Master Case and pay the absolute lowest unit price possible.

We realize that sometimes, buying a "Master Case" may be more than what you want or need (e.g. you are introducing a new item and just want to do a small trial order to see how it sells, or you are placing your order during a slower time of the year and want to maintain minimal inventory etc.)  As a practical alternative to the "Master Case" we offer most of our products in a smaller "Epicurean Case", with as few as one to 24 units per case (depending on the individual cost of the item.)

As a company that is concerned with serving you as well as we possibly can, we give you the flexibility to buy by the "Epicurean Case" or by the "Master Case", depending on your specific needs. It's just another way that we show you how we really are "Dedicated to the Independent Retailer"!


Q: What About Backorders and Product Substitutions?

A: We make absolutely every effort to keep our website current.  We use sophisticated models to predict our inventory needs to ensure that we always have sufficient inventory on hand to meet the needs of our customers.  We work very closely with all our suppliers to ensure continuity of supply.  However, even with the most elaborate inventory control models, some stock-outs are inevitable.  If we are out of stock of a particular item, we will try to contact you with a suggestion for a substitute product, if it is available.  If, however, the majority of your order is complete and ready to be shipped and we are unable to reach you in a timely manner, we will short ship your order.  Regretfully, most backorders must automatically be cancelled.