Connect samples to the buyer’s evaluation

Use a product or sample reference that the buyer can match to the bakery’s proposal. Where recipes or finishes differ, label them clearly inside the consignment. Keep the bakery’s ingredient, allergen and product information with the sample documents rather than expecting the courier to explain the products.

The driver transports the declared packages; the bakery and buyer manage the evaluation. A delivery signature confirms the handoff, not approval of a recipe, order volume or commercial agreement.

Package presentation pieces deliberately

Protect trays, delicate finishes and upright containers. Tell WTM about no-stack requirements and provide the packed dimensions and gross weights. An attractive sample can still require a rigid outer package and internal support for transportation.

For illustration, a bakery might prepare separate labelled portions for two Calgary café buyers. Each buyer’s samples should remain identifiable and be allocated to its own stop. If all samples are going to one central trial kitchen, state that single receiving arrangement instead.

Specify the conditions for the finished samples

Ask the producer to provide the required transport range and whether any samples are frozen rather than chilled. Do not combine different needs under the word bakery. The producer releases the goods in their intended condition and defines the handling instruction.

The CFIA preventive-controls guidance discusses appropriate food-conveyance conditions and contamination prevention. Follow the bakery’s own product controls, and include any additional transport-reporting requirement in the quotation.

Make arrival useful to the sales meeting

Give the trial kitchen’s address, contact and receiving deadline. The buyer may need time to receive and prepare the samples before the evaluation begins. A meeting start time alone is therefore not always the best transport deadline.

Once the product wins a regular order, the shipping pattern may change. Trial samples, recurring cartons and full pallets have different requirements. WTM can discuss the appropriate courier or refrigerated freight arrangement as the account develops.

Sample-delivery questions

Can WTM carry a small evaluation order?

Yes. Give the packed load and required conditions so the shipment can be quoted on its own merits.

Does refrigeration guarantee a sample’s quality or shelf life?

No such guarantee is implied. Product preparation, specifications and acceptance remain with the food businesses involved.