Market bread.What would you pay?

4nTN · #1 06/19/12, 11:58 AM

I was thinking of baking sweet breads and selling them at my farmers market.I already have a booth where I sell vinegar,herbs and soap.I have a commissary so legalities are not a problem.I was wondering if anyone thought $5.00 a loaf is reasonable?

amwitched · #2 06/19/12, 12:03 PM

I have bought a couple of loaves this year from a vendor at our local farmers market. She did charge $5 per loaf, but she mills her own flour. Do any of the other vendors sell bread? Can you compare prices?

PNWest · #3 06/19/12, 12:18 PM

Sadly, as much as I would want to pay $5.00 a loaf, my budget would not allow that expense. I understand you cannot sell below the the cost of ingredients and a modest profit. Perhaps your Farmer's Market is a bit more upscale than ours.

I encourage you to give it a try. Go for a variety of yummy and see what happens.

Yvonne's hubby · #4 06/19/12, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4nTN

I was thinking of baking sweet breads and selling them at my farmers market.I already have a booth where I sell vinegar,herbs and soap.I have a commissary so legalities are not a problem.I was wondering if anyone thought $5.00 a loaf is reasonable?

Bake up a few loaves and see what the public thinks they are worth. Price them a 5 and if they sell... kick it up a notch... if they dont... you have bread for your own use this week. I dont think it would fetch that kind of price in my area but you may have entirely different markets.

mnn2501 · #5 06/19/12, 01:08 PM

Only if its an upscale market.
That's just too much for me to pay. I might go as high as $4. maybe.

wy_white_wolf · #6 06/19/12, 01:13 PM

We have 2 different ladies that sell breads at various events. $5 seems to be the going price and they always sell out when at the farmers market.

I don't buy it just because that's out of our budget. 9 grain is 5 loaves for $12 though Bountiful Baskets and sweet breads seem to be 2 loaves for $10 when they have them.

WWW

4nTN · #7 06/19/12, 01:34 PM

What you should charge is strongly dependent on your local area. In many of the urban areas $5 a loaf for good bread would be cheap. In other areas it may be more than most folks would be willing to pay. You need to survey your local market.

Regulations prevent me from being to sell the eggs I produce in my local farmer's markets but it works the same way. I sell my eggs at $3.00 a dozen to clients who understand and appreciate the nature of the product I am offering. I do not try to compete with the supermarket eggs, particularly their loss leaders, because I can't. They have economies of scale that only another similar sized operation could hope to match. But they also cannot produce the sorts of eggs I do. We serve two very different parts of the market. For the folks who find price to be the most important factor above all else they are welcome to buy the $1.89 a dozen factory eggs. That is not my market and I do not try to serve it.

Survey your local market and charge what your product is worth. Like myself and most other folks you'll probably find that producing the product is the easy part. Marketing it to get the price you have to have to make it worth your while to stay in business is where the real job of work lies.

Coco · #8 06/19/12, 03:19 PM

try to make the mini loaves and sell them for $2.50 I think you would sell more this way as

I could not buy any bread right now for $5 unless it's made with meat.

Just another sign of the times, Everyone love a sweet treat but make it affordable for a farmers market, if I sold brownies I would sell a large serving for $1 but make sure you take in the price of packaging for smaller portions.

Hope this helps

kasilofhome · #9 06/19/12, 03:32 PM

It is 7 dollars here. It is sold right off the highway on private land only on Fridays. Get there quick cause her sign is only open for a few hours. She puts out a sign on Wed and Thru warning people of being there on Friday. Note this is just a cabin made and dropped on the land it is not a home just a "shop" The first year she just used tables so it must be worth it to have put out at least 16g for the building. Her tables when out side where ladden heavy with goods with boxes to the side. I was shocked at the volume she was doing as she simply appeared one day a few years ago.

Fair Light · #10 06/19/12, 04:45 PM

It depends on the size of the loaf...I buy sweet breads with lots of nuts and dried fruit for $4. It measures about 4"X6"...I also buy a great yeast bread made from home ground wheat for $6. but it is really big...like 6"X10" on the bottom and stands about 8" tall...Definately research your local market. I am willing to pay for quality...

BarbadosSheep · #11 06/19/12, 04:45 PM

They charge $4 to $5 a loaf at my local market, depending on the ingredients. Bread with lots of goodies (olives, nuts, seeds, fruit, etc.) costs more than plain bread and sells quite wel. Doubt I'd pay more than $5.

blooba · #12 06/19/12, 05:58 PM

$5 would have to be some pretty good bread but somewhat reasonable if good. I like the idea of having the half size loaves also but also don't forget about the bulk buyers also. have a special price for 5 or 10 big loaves also. People like me hate shopping and buy in bulk and prefer to get a bulk discount (getting hard to get on good food). You'd be surprised how many people will buy in bulk.

Tracy Rimmer · #13 06/19/12, 06:02 PM

I get $6 a loaf for quick breads at my market -- 9 X 5 loaves. Big, hand-thrown loaves of yeast bread, $5 each.

4nTN · #14 06/19/12, 06:40 PM

wow thanks for all the feedback.The loaves are 9x5.I use locally milled flour.Lot`s of nuts and Fruit.And yes it`s good! If my young granddaughter and 12 yr old son like it anybody would.I really have let "strangers" try it and they encouraged me to try and sell it.
My local market is by no means upscale,but I intend to go over into NC and they are beyond upscale.In fact $5.00 could be under selling myself.But I believe this to be a fair price.
I like the idea of the mini-loaves for $2.50,I bet that would work well in my small local market.
Well I got plenty of Zukes almost ready for the picking,peaches,cherries.I wish I could grow tropical fruits here.

Sharon

Freya · #15 06/19/12, 06:43 PM

They go for about $4-$7 here.

Tracy Rimmer · #16 06/19/12, 07:23 PM

Sharon -- your mini loaves should be priced a little higher -- say $3. You still need to package them, and they take the same time to prepare, bake, transport and sell.

lonelyfarmgirl · #17 06/19/12, 08:02 PM

Sell your mini-loaves for 3$ and your big loaves for 4.95$

stamphappy · #18 06/19/12, 09:40 PM

Big loaf here goes for $6.50 or 2 for $12. Tomato, Herb & Parmesean Focaccia, loaves of cinnamon raisin, sourdough, etc...mostly in artisan 'thrown' type loaves. We are an hour away from Seattle (across the water via ferry).

**clovis** · #19 06/20/12, 01:00 AM

At $5 a loaf, I might be an occasional buyer...

But, I don't think that $5 for a quality loaf is out of the question. In fact, in our area, you could probably sell out every Saturday at that price, and have a line a mile long waiting for the next batch.

meanwhile · #20 06/20/12, 06:10 AM

I would pay $5.00 and if there is something else added to the bread (such as raisins / nuts / herbs) then $5.50 or I have seen loaves selling for $6.00 before. Since I bake my own bread then $6.00 would be too much for me but a good loaf is worth $5.00. Good bread is worth the money and most people do not bake. Also, in the summer heat, they might be willing to buy bread even if they know how to bake since they don't want the heat in the house.

Good luck! Hope you sell lots.