Eighth International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

This paper examines wholesale distributors’ (foodservice) perceptions, motivations, and constraints of selling local food products to local restaurants in a study conducted in Vancouver, Canada and Christchurch, New Zealand. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with wholesale distributors. Results reveal that restaurants and chefs are most interested in perceived tangible benefits such as freshness and higher quality of the food products, as well as more intangible motivations such as better customer services and receive fair prices while they purchase from wholesale distributors. However, interviews revealed that major concerns such as seasonality, inadequate quantity/volume, and higher prices of the food products were identified as limiting more widespread use of local food from wholesale distributors. The implications of those findings for wholesale distributors are discussed and strategies are posited to better serve the foodservice organizations.