Why MOQ is the barrier nobody talks about
Ask any small or growing food and drink producer in the United Kingdom what stops them working with a given flavour house, and the answer is rarely the flavour. It is the minimum order. A 25 kg or 200 kg first buy on an unproven profile is not a purchase, it is a bet — and if the profile does not survive your matrix, that stock sits in the corner of the warehouse until it goes out of specification.
High minimums exist because large-scale flavour production is set up for large-scale customers. Our answer is a 1 kg minimum order across the range. It is small enough that trialling a profile is a sensible business decision, and large enough to be a genuine working quantity: enough to bench-trial in your real base, run a pilot batch, do a shelf-life check and still have material left to repeat the trial when a colleague asks you to.
Who a low MOQ flavour supplier suits
Small batch producers
Craft drinks, small-scale bakery, artisan confectionery and independent supplement brands whose production runs simply don't consume a drum of flavouring.
NPD and innovation teams
Larger manufacturers screening several candidate profiles at once, where buying each at bulk MOQ would be indefensible on a development budget.
Seasonal and limited editions
Profiles that run for one quarter and then stop. A small minimum means a limited edition doesn't leave you with residual stock.
Businesses changing supplier
Running a matched replacement alongside existing supply is cheap when the trial quantity is 1 kg. See changing flavour supplier.
What you can buy from 1 kg
- Any profile from our library of 1,000+ flavour concentrates — fruit, dessert, bakery, beverage, confectionery, mint and botanical families.
- Liquid or powder formats, including water-soluble and oil-soluble systems, and PG-free options on request.
- Sweetened or unsweetened versions, depending on what your formulation needs.
- Approved bespoke profiles developed through bespoke flavour development, supplied on the same 1 kg minimum once signed off.
- Documentation — specifications, SDS, Certificates of Analysis and allergen statements — supplied on demand, including at trial stage.
One thing we deliberately do not publish is a universal dosage figure. Dosage is product-specific: the profile, the format, the base matrix and the sugar and acid levels of your product all move it. We will recommend a starting rate for your application and you confirm it by bench trial — which is exactly what a 1 kg quantity is for.
Small batch now, bulk later — same specification
The reason small-batch supply is useful is that it leads somewhere. Because EC Aroma manufactures rather than resells, the profile you approve at 1 kg is the profile we hold batch-to-batch as your volumes grow. There is no reformulation step between trial and production, no "that was the sample grade" conversation, and no change to the sensory profile your customers already recognise.
We supply manufacturers across the United Kingdom and internationally on trade terms, from single-kilogram trials up to bulk production quantities. What we do not do is white label, private label or OEM finished-product manufacture — we make and supply the flavourings, and you make the product.
On timings: liquid flavourings are dispatched fastest, and powder formats take longer because of the additional processing involved. We give you a realistic date with your quotation rather than a blanket promise.
Getting started
- Tell us the applicationBeverage, bakery, sports nutrition, confectionery or industrial — and the base you're flavouring.
- Name the profile, or send a benchmarkPick from the range, or send a product to match through our flavour matching service.
- We quote the 1 kg trialCost, format, realistic dispatch timing and a recommended starting dosage for your specific product.
- Trial, approve, scaleBench-trial in your own base, approve, then scale on the same held specification whenever you're ready.
Low MOQ questions
What is your minimum order quantity for flavour concentrates?
1 kg, across our range of liquid and powder food-grade flavour concentrates — a genuinely usable working quantity rather than a token vial.
Does the 1 kg flavour minimum order apply to bespoke profiles too?
Yes. Once a bespoke profile has been developed and approved, it's supplied on the same 1 kg minimum, so you aren't forced into a large first production commitment on a profile you've only just signed off.
How much finished product will 1 kg of flavour concentrate make?
It depends entirely on the dosage your application needs, and that's product-specific — profile, format, base matrix and sugar and acid levels all change it. Tell us what you're making and we'll recommend a starting rate for you to confirm by bench trial.
Can I scale up from a small batch order without reformulating?
Yes. We manufacture in the United Kingdom and hold your approved specification batch-to-batch, so moving from 1 kg to production volumes doesn't require a second round of development.
How quickly can a small order be dispatched?
Liquid flavourings are dispatched fastest; powder formats take longer because of the additional processing involved. We confirm realistic timings with your quotation.