A buyer ordering onions straight from the grower for the first time usually does not know where to start: how much to take, whether a sample is available, when the price comes and who arranges transport. So we lay the whole process out step by step, exactly as it works here. No exchange, no middleman, from the first message to unloading at your dock.
Step 1: your enquiry, the five things we need
The more specific the enquiry, the faster you get a sensible answer. Instead of asking "how much do onions cost", tell us five things. On that basis we check what is available in the storage facility and come back with something concrete.
| What you tell us | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Type of produce | yellow onions, red onions or onions from sets, each has its own availability window |
| Size and grade | we set the sorter to your range, for example 50-70 mm or 80+ mm |
| Volume and frequency | a one-off batch is a different job from a standing weekly delivery |
| Packaging | loose, big bag or net bags, this decides how the packing line runs |
| Dates and delivery point | these set the release schedule and the transport cost |
You do not need every answer. If you do not know which size suits your line, tell us what you make and we will suggest the range. We go into this in more depth in our post on what onion size works in processing.
Step 2: how much you need to order
We are a grower, not a warehouse with shelves, so we work in wholesale quantities and usually in a rhythm of regular deliveries. Our basic unit is the big bag, normally around 1,000 kg, because it stacks well on a pallet and in a trailer. From there it goes up: a full pallet, a full truck, and with a standing partnership a schedule mapped out over months.
We do not put a fixed minimum on the website, because in practice it depends on the size, the packaging and the timing. We set it against a specific enquiry. If you are still testing a supplier, say so plainly. Then we start with a smaller trial batch and only build the larger schedule afterwards. What fits into each bag size we explain in our post on onion big bags.
Step 3: the free sample
Before you sign anything, we send a free sample. That is not a courtesy gesture, it is the fastest way to stop the conversation being theoretical. You check the produce at your place, on your line, not in a photograph.
What a buyer usually looks at once the sample arrives:
- firmness and health of the onions, and how well the skin holds
- how even the size is across the batch, meaning how many bulbs fall outside the range ordered
- how far the neck has dried down, because badly cured onions will not last the season
- cleanliness: no soil, no stones, no harvest damage
- how the produce behaves after a few days in the buyer's own storage conditions
A sample says more than any specification. That is why we would rather send produce and talk about the actual onions in your hand than try to convince you by email.
Step 4: the price and what it depends on
We do not publish prices on the website, and not out of stubbornness. Onions are a commodity whose price shifts through the season, and every offer has different parameters. We calculate it from current market prices and from what is in the order.
| What affects the price | Which way it pushes |
|---|---|
| Size | a large, even size costs more, because fewer bulbs make up a tonne |
| Commercial grade | a higher grade means tighter selection and more rejects |
| Packaging | loose is the simplest, retail sacks take work on the line |
| Volume and continuity | a standing partnership counts differently from a one-off batch |
| Timing | produce straight from the field and produce from the storage facility cost differently |
You get a specific quote against your own enquiry, through our contact page. We describe the market mechanics in more detail in our post on what drives the price of onions.
Step 5: preparing the batch
Once the terms are set, the batch goes down the line. Onions from the storage facility go onto the DOWNS CropVision optical sorter, which scans every single bulb all the way round and rejects stones, soil clods and defects, at up to 100 tonnes per hour. Then comes grading to the range ordered and packing on an automated line with a palletiser.
Every batch goes through quality control. We test for pesticide residues, heavy metals and substances hazardous to health, because we produce free of pesticide residues, in line with the principles of Integrated Plant Production. The machines behind all this are in our machinery park.
Step 6: paperwork, schedule and transport
With the produce you get the documentation a serious buyer requires: the farm's certificates and the test results for the batch. We run the farm with GlobalG.A.P., GRASP, FSA Gold (Farm Sustainability Assessment) and GMP+. For packers and processing plants that is usually a condition of entry, not an extra.
With a standing partnership we do not ship everything at once. Our own storage facility for around 13,000 tonnes lets us release produce in batches over many months, on a schedule agreed with the buyer. We have onions available all year round, which we set out in our vegetable availability calendar. Transport and the unloading slot we settle with the order, along with the pallet format and how you unload at your end.
Our vegetables reach market leaders such as Onix, Farm Frites and FreshPol, partners supplying the largest retail chains and processing plants in Poland and Europe. The same process that handles their orders handles the first trial batch too.
Why buy from the grower rather than a middleman
Buying direct, you know which field the produce came from and who answers for the quality. We grow around 250 hectares of onions at a yield of roughly 60 tonnes per hectare, on a farm of over 800 hectares in total. That means we do not have to buy produce in from somebody else to fill your order on a standing delivery, and any complaint goes to the people who grew the onions. The full picture of wholesale cooperation is in our guide to wholesale onions.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum onion order?
We do not set a fixed threshold, because it depends on the size, the packaging and the timing. We work in wholesale quantities, from a big bag of around 1,000 kg upwards, through full pallets to whole trucks. We agree the specific minimum against your enquiry.
Will I get a sample before I order?
Yes, free of charge. We send a sample so you can check firmness, size and how the onions behave on your own line before we agree a larger batch.
Why are there no prices on the website?
The price of onions shifts through the season, and every offer has different parameters: size, grade, packaging and volume. We calculate it from current market prices and send it in reply to a specific enquiry.
How quickly will I get an answer to my enquiry?
We answer once we have checked what is in the storage facility for your size and dates. That is why we ask for the five details up front: type, size, volume, packaging and timing.
Can I order regularly all year round?
Yes, and that is the whole point of having our own storage facility for around 13,000 tonnes. Instead of one large delivery we release produce in batches over many months, on a schedule agreed together.
What documents come with the batch?
The farm's certificates (GlobalG.A.P., GRASP, FSA Gold, GMP+) and the test results for the batch covering pesticide residues, heavy metals and substances hazardous to health.
Want to order onions wholesale? Write to us through our contact page with the size, volume and timing, and we will come back with a quote and a sample. Details of varieties and grades are in the onion offer.
