Food & Restaurants Industry FAQ

Monterey Bay Herb Co. has supplied bulk herbs, spices, and botanicals to food professionals since 1997. Our catalog supports a wide range of commercial kitchen needs—from classic culinary herbs and global spice traditions to distinctive botanical ingredients used in specialty dishes, house-made seasonings, sauces, syrups, and prepared foods.

Commonly sourced ingredients for food and restaurant applications include:

• Black Peppercorn (available in 12, 16, and 20 mesh) for seasoning blends and finishing applications
• Ginger Root (cut & sifted or powder, organic available) for savory dishes, sauces, and marinades
• Cinnamon Chips for slow-cooked preparations, syrups, and baked goods
• Garlic Granules as a consistent, shelf-stable base for house blends and spice rubs
• Chamomile Flower and Lavender Flower for culinary applications in desserts, infused syrups, and specialty beverage programs
• Hibiscus Flower for bold, color-forward sauces, shrubs, and drinks
• Cloves and Cardamom for global-inspired flavor development
• Italian Seasoning and pre-blended spice mixes for high-volume kitchen efficiency
• Rose Petals and Rose Hips for finishing applications and specialty menu elements

Yes. All herbs and spices from Monterey Bay Herb Co. are food-grade and suitable for culinary use when handled and prepared in accordance with standard food service practices. We operate under a robust quality framework that includes:

• SQF (Safe Quality Food) Certification - a globally recognized food safety standard
• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
• Kosher Certification
• Organic Certification for applicable SKUs

Our documentation is available to support purchasing, compliance, and menu labeling needs. Restaurants and food producers can request product documentation through our business services team.

Yes. We carry a substantial selection of certified organic herbs and spices, including organic ginger root, organic cinnamon chips, organic lavender flower, organic chamomile, and many others. Organic availability varies by ingredient and harvest cycle. Browse organic options directly on our site or contact us for a current availability list.

Organic sourcing is increasingly important to restaurant operators building ingredient-forward menus and communicating provenance to guests. We can help support that story at the ingredient level.

Our herbs and spices are available in three primary formats:

• Whole - ideal for pickling, brining, infusing, or applications where visual presentation matters (whole cloves, whole peppercorns, whole dried flowers)
• Cut & Sifted (C/S) - the most common format for commercial cooking; clean, consistent particle size that works well in braising liquids, stocks, rubs, and infusions
• Powder - best for spice blends, rubs, batters, doughs, sauces, and applications requiring even distribution

For large-format or custom cut specifications, contact our team about bulk and co-pack capabilities.

Yes. We regularly work with restaurant groups, food producers, and culinary brands developing custom spice blends, house seasonings, and proprietary mixes. Our capabilities include:

• Custom blending - combining multiple herbs and spices to your specification
• Milling - grinding to target particle size
• Co-packing - packaging finished blends under your brand or for kitchen use

Whether you're building a signature rub, a house salt-free seasoning, or a consistent base for a prepared food line, our team can support the process from ingredient selection through finished product.

Many of today's most talked-about menu ingredients have long roots in the botanical world. Monterey Bay Herb Co. supplies a number of ingredients that are frequently used in modern culinary applications, including:

• Elderberry - a deep, fruit-forward botanical commonly incorporated into syrups, reductions, glazes, and specialty beverage programs
• Hibiscus Flower - widely used in vinaigrettes, agua frescas, shrubs, and naturally colored preparations
• Rose Petals and Rose Buds - used as garnish, in infused syrups, and in dessert and pastry applications
• Lavender Flower - a popular addition to baked goods, honey infusions, and cocktail-adjacent menu items
• Chamomile Flower - frequently incorporated into teas, broths, and delicate pastry applications
• Turmeric Root - a warm, earthy powder used in spice blends, golden-style preparations, and naturally colored dishes
• Gentian Root - a bitter botanical traditionally used in digestif-style applications and culinary bitters
• Damiana Leaf - an aromatic botanical occasionally featured in specialty herbal preparations and culinary explorations

Yes. Many of our food and restaurant customers source ingredients for both the kitchen and the bar or beverage program, as well as a variety of teas. Botanicals that perform well in beverage applications include:

• Hibiscus Flower for iced teas and agua frescas
• Chamomile Flower for house herbal infusions
• Ginger Root for fresh-style syrups and shrubs
• Cinnamon Chips for mulled syrups and warm-spiced beverages
• Lavender Flower for lemonades and specialty non-alcoholic drinks
• Rose Petals for infused waters and finishing

For restaurants also interested in botanical ingredients for craft cocktail or mocktail programs, our broader beverage and spirits catalog may also be relevant.

No. Monterey Bay Herb Co. has no order minimums, which makes it easy for independent restaurants, test kitchens, and small food producers to source ingredients at the quantities that make sense for their operation. Pricing scales favorably with volume, with free shipping available on orders of $250 or more and 15% off orders of $600 or more. For orders of 100 lbs or more of a single ingredient, contact us for a bulk discount quote.

To maintain flavor, aroma, and quality throughout your supply cycle:

• Store in airtight containers, away from heat, light, and moisture
• Keep clearly labeled with receipt dates to support FIFO (first in, first out) rotation
• Avoid storing near cooking surfaces, dishwashing areas, or other high-humidity zones
• Whole and cut forms generally hold their character longer than powders under the same conditions

Proper storage practices help ensure consistent results across your menu and minimize waste.

We work with growers and sourcing partners around the world to bring in botanicals that reflect their origin—whether that's Indian cardamom, Madagascar cloves, Egyptian chamomile, or California-adjacent wild-crafted herbs. Responsible sourcing is a core part of how we operate, and we prioritize relationships with suppliers who cultivate with care for both flavor integrity and environmental practices.

For customers who want to communicate ingredient provenance on their menus, we can often provide origin information as part of our standard documentation.

Food businesses across the country rely on us because we combine the depth of a specialty ingredient supplier with the reliability of a partner built for commercial scale. Key reasons customers come back:

• Established in 1997 with deep experience serving professional culinary accounts
• Food-grade quality with SQF, GMP, Kosher, and Organic certifications
• No order minimums—order what you need, when you need it
• Broad catalog spanning everyday culinary staples and specialty botanicals
• Custom blending, milling, and co-packing for branded and house programs
• Transparent ingredient documentation to support kitchen and labeling needs
• Responsive customer service team familiar with food industry sourcing requirements