# Soapers Choice like business on the west coast



## RobertBarnett (Mar 30, 2016)

Does anyone know of a business like Soapers Choice but on the west coast? I need to order some bulk oils but my $450 order would cost $250 to ship to California. Bramble Berry is expensive and doesn't have things like lard or beef tallow.

Robert


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## dixiedragon (Mar 30, 2016)

Try to find a restaurant supply place. Also called "cash and carry". It's a bit of a PITA to find one, b/c they don't tend to have web sites. You may have to pull out your phone book and start calling. A lot of them will be for places selling equipment, etc.

Maybe Monarch Foods:
http://www.usfoods.com/about-us/contact-us/USFLocations.html

There is one near me and they have lard and olive oil. If you don't see one near you, call; they may not be listed. The one near me isn't.

Also try Sysco Foods.


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## Seawolfe (Mar 30, 2016)

Smart and Final in CA has tallow and lard, and palm too I believe.


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## IrishLass (Mar 30, 2016)

Seawolfe said:


> Smart and Final in CA has tallow and lard, and palm too I believe.


 
That's what I was going to suggest, too. They have stores all over the place if you live in western half of the US. The one by me sells tallow in 50lb boxes. it's the only place I can find tallow locally without having to order it off the internet. Lard is a different story- it practically grows on trees in my area. lol All my local grocery stores sell it in 5lb buckets (and smaller quantities, too), and all the Walmarts sell it as well.


IrishLass


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## maya (Mar 31, 2016)

Try restaunrant supply places. http://www.restaurantdepot.com/locations


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## lenarenee (Mar 31, 2016)

I'm near San Diego Robert, and have Smart and Final here with Lard, tallow and palm shortening in 50 lb boxes. Cmzaha mentions a place called Ciabaria wholesaler in Riverside, CA.

ETA: now that I think of it, I'm wondering if Ciabaria had special requirements and didn't sell to small time hobbists??  Didn't find anything on their website...and I'm drooling over coconut oil price! (but gas prices are always outrageous in CA, so by the time I drive up there and back...not so much!)


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## OliveOil2 (Mar 31, 2016)

If you are in Southern California Cibaria Soap Supply in Riverside has some great prices,  I have purchased from them, but not a large amount because I'm in Northern CA. Another one that is in Southern CA with reasonable shipping is Essentialnaturaloils, they are more essential oils, but some things like castor, and neem oil. One more again in Southern CA is Natural Oils International in Semi Valley.

Love all of the suggestions above, I buy many of my oils from restaurant supply stores, and try to get whatever I can local to avoid shipping. I also would love to be able to purchase from Soapers Choice.


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## JuneP (Mar 31, 2016)

I have a Cash n Carry here in S.Oregon, in Medford. Here's a link to their web page where you can search using your zip code to see if there's one near you.

https://www.smartfoodservice.com/search/

June



RobertBarnett said:


> Does anyone know of a business like Soapers Choice but on the west coast? I need to order some bulk oils but my $450 order would cost $250 to ship to California. Bramble Berry is expensive and doesn't have things like lard or beef tallow.
> 
> Robert


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## cmzaha (Mar 31, 2016)

I buy most of my oils from Cibaria. It is a drive, but I just make it worthwhile to make the run, which is about 100 miles round trip, but is still cheaper than shipping when I am picking up on the average of 200 lbs of oils. Restaurant Depot is a good place for high Oleic Canola, Smart & Final is where I purchase Palm shortening, Lard and Tallow Shortening, with Costco for Olive Oil. Cibaria I purchase Cocobutter, Coconut, Sweet Almond Oil, Avocado, Castor and mid to high Oleic Sunflower and High Oleic Safflower.
Lenarenee you can purchase as little as gallons at Cibaria


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## navigator9 (Mar 31, 2016)

This is a great source of frustration for soapmakers. If you make soap in anything but small quantities, it's hard to find bulk ingredients locally. And when you're shipping something like 50lb. pails of oils, it gets expensive really fast. The only ingredient I'm able to get locally, is Costco olive oil, everything else must be shipped. When I first started soaping, I did extensive research to see if there were any sources anywhere near me, I was willing to drive anywhere in state if I could find what I needed. There is a coconut oil manufacturer in state, but I would have to buy a 200 gallon drum! This is another reason why soapmakers find it difficult to make money selling soap, we pay for our supplies _*and*_ for having them shipped. I feel your pain, and I wish you luck finding a supplier in your area.


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## RobertBarnett (Mar 31, 2016)

Well I went to Smart & Final and got a 50 pound cube of palm, beef and pig fat. Is it me or do you get strange looks from people when you buy 150 pounds of fat?

All for less than $100.

Robert


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