Food suppliers

In Auckland
Delmaine's Cash and Carry - in Greenmount Drive East Tamaki is excellent and easy to get a card
Sabato - they will not give a trade discount unless you have a high turnover, but you can easily purchase off their website the key ingredients that they are good at - I regularly buy Smoked Paprika, Harissa morrocan spice, Vincotto and others delicious odds and ends

General

Farmers Markets - Buy Local - buy local where you can, support local growers and businesses, make a point of advertising and letting your clients know you shop local too..
Avocados - many growers will send a box direct
Maple Syrup: did you know that NZ is now producing an apple syrup which is a great substitute for imported maple syrup. Most wholesale suppliers stock it, so ask for it.
Catering for Food allergies: Spoilt for Choice is a South Auckland based women owned company which supplies breads, waffle and pancake mix which are gluten free, dairy free and some egg free. I keep some of the gluten free pancake mix on the shelf, and some bread sliced in the freezer for when I have people with allergies stay. it is a perfect substitute. Also always buy Cornflour which has a gluten free sign on the packet and you always have a gluten free sauce thickening option at hand.
Also The Gluten Free Goodies Company (McDonald Family) Phone 07 8552019 (Intl: +64 7 8552019) Fax 07 8552012 29 Claude Street, Hamilton, New Zealand. Email and also Gluten Free Foods

Cash and Carry - most cities have places such as Gilmours, in Wellington the wonderful Moore Wilson. Go along and get an account. Also Check out your Yellow Pages for your local suppliers

Coffee: you may have your favourite supplier, so ask for a trade discount and get it delivered.
Gilmours - have a wine and beer section, but you might find better deals by talking to your local off licence, or direct from your favourite winery.

Linen

"Its worth buying Quality"
- one B&B proprietor's response when asked if there was one thing they would recommend to a new player in the industry.

We got our fabulous sheets and towels through Wendy Earles Great quality and maybe we might have got as good if we had shopped around at every sale around, but we got excellent value straight from her, for far less hassle. She works for a company who supplies hotels, so has the contacts. It has been worth buying quality!

Christchurch recommendation: Linen agent: Kate Campbell, ph 03 337 5949 "She has been brilliant and has taught us a lot about the industry. prices are definitely better than what i could find, even in the sales but it is the advice she has given that has helped the most."

Laundry service: we took our sheets and towells into Whangarei to wash at the Hospital Laundry - extremely reasonable prices, and the sheets come back ironed and fitted sheets folded! Check out your yellow pages for local laundrys. We found it was not worth our time or our tank water to do it ourselves, especially since we had someone who was going to town.

Other odds and ends

Interior Decorating: Everyone comments about the colours and furnishings in our place - we can highly recommend our friend Wendy Earles to give you excellent advice and help here. Good advice will save you money in the long run. email

Ask Local operators:  Get to know other people in your area who offer hospitality, swap ideas, resources, and phone numbers for when you are over booked!

Set up an account at your local dairy/foursquare - I found it was easier to keep track of what I was buying and and I had a recotd, and only paid once a month