Garlic King

What Garlic King does

Garlic King, the operating brand of California Garlic Company, is a US-based industrial ingredient supplier founded in 1999 and headquartered in Temecula, California. The company sources, imports, and processes premium food ingredients — primarily garlic, ginger, onions, and peppers — and sells them in bulk (pails, bulk containers) to food manufacturers, foodservice providers, and private-label brands across the United States and Canada. Its product portfolio spans value-added formats including chopped and minced garlic, garlic puree, roasted garlic, naturally fermented black garlic, dehydrated garlic (granulated, powdered, flaked), diced and pureed ginger, IQF/diced/sliced/pureed onion varieties, and a full range of peppers from sweet bells to specialty chilies, offered in All Natural, non-GMO, and organic options.

Core processing technology centers on Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) technology, naturally fermented Black Garlic production, and an on-site innovation center staffed by a CIA-trained research chef that supports custom product development for clients. Garlic King holds SQF certification, Organic certification, and complies with HACCP, GFSI, and BRC standards — baseline credentials required by large food manufacturer and retailer procurement teams.

The business model is B2B enterprise sales with quote-based pricing and FOB terms from a nationwide cold storage network of 9 warehouses spanning the West, Midwest, South, and Northeast regions. The company markets through industry trade shows, blog content, and direct sales, and is led by CEO Jeff Crace (also President of the Research Chefs Association), COO Kristina Reagan (former Nestlé operations), and Research Chef Maryanne Jones. Revenue, ownership structure, and any institutional backing are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Garlic King

Legal name

California Garlic Company

Website

https://garlicking.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Garlic King (California Garlic Company) is a US-based B2B industrial supplier founded in 1999, specializing in IQF and value-added garlic, ginger, onion, and pepper ingredients for food manufacturers, foodservice operators, and private-label brands across the US and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Temecula

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Bulk Ingredient Sales: Sale of industrial quantities of garlic, ginger, onions, and peppers to food manufacturers and foodservice providers. Products sold in bulk formats including pails, bulk containers for foodservice and manufacturing needs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Garlic King (operated by California Garlic Company) is a global importer and processor of premium industrial food ingredients, supplying bulk quantities of garlic, ginger, shallots, green onions, and peppers to food manufacturers and foodservice providers. Products are offered in multiple processed formats including chopped, minced, pureed, IQF (Individually Quick Frozen), roasted, dehydrated, and fermented black garlic, available in All Natural, non-GMO, and organic options. The company supports customers with custom R&D, nationwide cold storage warehousing across nine U.S. locations, and SQF/Organic-certified production.

Product overview

Garlic King, operated by California Garlic Company, is a premier industrial supplier and global importer of premium food ingredients, offering a comprehensive portfolio of garlic, ginger, onions, and peppers products. The product line includes Chopped & Minced Garlic, Garlic Puree, Roasted Garlic, Black Garlic, and Dehydrated Garlic (granulated, powdered, flakes); Diced Ginger and Ginger Puree; multiple onion varieties (Green, Yellow, White, Red) in IQF, diced, sliced, and pureed formats; and a full spectrum of peppers including Sweet Bell Peppers, Jalapeños, Serranos, Cascabels, and specialty varieties. Products are available in All Natural, non-GMO, and organic options, serving food manufacturers, foodservice providers, and culinary professionals with bulk packaging solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chopped & Minced Garlic Pre-processed garlic in chopped and minced formats, packaged in pails and bulk containers, designed to save prep time while delivering consistent flavor and extended shelf life for food manufacturers and foodservice providers.
• Garlic Puree Smooth-textured garlic puree for easy incorporation into recipes, offering uniform texture and concentrated garlic flavor for soups, dips, spreads, and seasoning blends.
• Roasted Garlic Slow-roasted garlic with naturally sweet, rich umami depth and caramelized flavor, ready to use in sauces, spreads, and gourmet recipes.
• Black Garlic Naturally fermented garlic with deep, sweet, and tangy umami flavor available in whole cloves, paste, puree, or powder formats. Known for mild caramelized taste with no harsh garlic aftertaste and rich antioxidant properties.
• Dehydrated Garlic Dehydrated garlic available in granulated, powdered, and flake formats with long shelf life and concentrated flavor for spice blends, snack coatings, and seasonings.
• Diced Ginger Precisely diced ginger in pail packaging, offering time-saving, ready-to-use format with natural sweetness and spice balance for baked goods, confections, sauces, marinades, and Asian-inspired dishes.
• Ginger Puree Smooth and aromatic ginger puree capturing the fresh essence of ginger with easy incorporation, uniform consistency, and intense flavor for beverages, dressings, soups, marinades, and health foods.
• Green Onions IQF (Individually Quick Frozen), diced, or sliced green onions that maintain fresh taste and vibrant color, ideal for sauces, dressings, seasonings, marinades, and frozen meals.
• Yellow Onions IQF, diced, sliced, or pureed yellow onions with balanced sweet-savory flavor ideal for caramelization, suitable for soups, sauces, spice blends, ready-to-eat meals, and industrial food production.
• White Onions Milder, slightly sweeter onions compared to yellow onions, suitable for salsas, soups, frozen foods, and ingredient blends.
• Red Onions Bold-colored onions with crisp texture and slight sweetness, ideal for dressings, spice mixes, and ready-made meals.
• Sweet Bell Peppers Red, green, and yellow bell peppers prized for mild sweetness, vibrant color, and versatility, available in fresh, diced, roasted, and dehydrated formats for sauces, soups, salsas, frozen meals, and seasoning blends.
• Jalapeño Peppers Medium heat peppers with crisp bite, available in whole, sliced, diced, pickled, or pureed formats for salsas, hot sauces, and pickling applications.
• Serrano Peppers Hotter peppers with bright, sharp heat, available in whole, diced, and pureed formats for sauces and marinades.
• Cascabel Peppers Mild to medium heat peppers with rich, smoky, and nutty flavor, available in whole dried or pureed formats for Mexican and Latin-inspired dishes.
• Spicy & Specialty Pepper Varieties Additional spicy pepper varieties including Guajillo, Chipotle, Habanero, and Arbol peppers for spice blends and hot sauces.

Quantifiable outcome

• Shorter lead times through 9 strategically located cold storage facilities
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Research Chefs AssociationcoreOthersCalifornia Garlic Company has been a member of the Research Chefs Association (RCA) for over 20 years. CEO Jeff Crace serves as President of the RCA. The partnership provides invaluable connections, education, industry insights, and networking opportunities that drive innovation and business growth.
• Association for Dressings and SaucescoreOthersActive member and advisor to the Association for Dressings and Sauces (ADS). The partnership provides industry insights, networking, and educational opportunities, connecting the company with key decision-makers in the sauce and dressing industry.
• PROMPERÚminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeruvian Commission for the Promotion of Export and Tourism hosted business meetings in Arequipa, Peru with local produce growers, facilitating sourcing relationships for ingredients.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Christopher Ranch: Largest US-based garlic grower and processor, supplying peeled, chopped, minced, pureed, and IQF garlic to foodservice, food manufacturing, and retail channels. Directly comparable to Garlic King in core garlic processing, ingredient formats, and B2B go-to-market.
• Spice World: Major US garlic processor offering chopped, minced, crushed, and IQF garlic plus other alliums to foodservice and industrial customers. Direct competitor to Garlic King in core garlic SKUs with overlapping customer base in sauce and frozen-meal manufacturing.
• Van Drunen Farms: Supplier of IQF, freeze-dried, and drum-dried herbs, vegetables, and fruits to food manufacturers. Closely analogous to Garlic King in dried and IQF vegetable-processing capability and B2B food-manufacturer customer base.
• Mercer Foods: Freeze-dried and dehydrated fruit and vegetable ingredient supplier to food manufacturers, foodservice, and private-label brands. Overlaps directly with Garlic King on dehydrated garlic/vegetable SKUs and contract-manufactured supply for CPG customers.
• Kalsec: Producer of natural hop, herb, spice, and vegetable extracts and colors for the food and beverage industry. Comparable to Garlic King in B2B clean-label ingredient supply with overlapping end customers in sauces, seasonings, and prepared foods.
• Newly Weds Foods: Industrial supplier of seasonings, coatings, flavors, and functional ingredients to food manufacturers and foodservice. Direct competitor to Garlic King in custom ingredient solutions for branded and private-label CPG/foodservice customers.
• Griffith Foods: Global custom ingredient blends, sauces, and seasonings manufacturer serving food manufacturers and foodservice operators. Directly comparable to Garlic King on custom formulation, B2B food-manufacturer customer base, and clean-label positioning.

Broad incumbents

• McCormick & Company: Global leader in flavor solutions and seasonings with a substantial industrial ingredients business serving food manufacturers across spice, herb, and allium categories. Larger incumbent competitor overlapping with Garlic King in industrial B2B ingredient supply but with a much broader portfolio and global scale.
• Sensient Technologies: Diversified global supplier of natural colors, flavors, and ingredients for food, beverage, and personal care. Overlaps with Garlic King in custom ingredient solutions for CPG customers, though at much broader scale and category coverage.
• Olam Food Ingredients (ofi): Global supplier of sustainable, natural, value-added food ingredients and solutions including spices, seasonings, and vegetable ingredients for food manufacturers. Comparable to Garlic King on global sourcing, B2B supply, and ingredient-quality positioning, but at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GarlicKing
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaliforniaGarlicCo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-garlic-company

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Garlic King