Dry Fruits & Nuts — Line 07
Dates
Whole, pitted, diced and paste. A line with a hard seasonal peak, which means the buyers who plan for Ramadan in autumn pay a very different price from the ones who ring in February.
About the line
Buy dates against the calendar.
Nothing else in this range has a demand curve like dates. UK consumption concentrates violently around Ramadan, and the market knows it: prices firm months ahead, the better grades are committed early, and by the time the season is close the choice is whatever is left. A buyer placing an order in the autumn for a spring requirement is buying a different market from one placing it six weeks out, and the difference is not marginal.
On the product itself, the two decisions are grade and format. Whole dates are sold on size, softness and skin condition; pitted dates trade a little presentation for enormous convenience in bakery and manufacturing; diced and paste formats exist because most industrial users are buying dates as a sugar system rather than as fruit. Paste in particular has grown fast as a refined-sugar replacement in bars and bakery, and it is a genuinely different specification conversation — you are buying a functional ingredient, not a snack.
Formats
How dates are supplied.
Most UK volume moves as pitted or paste. Whole dates are a presentation product and are priced as one.
| Format | Description | Typical use | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole, with stone | Graded on size and softness | Retail, gifting, food service | Highest presentation value |
| Pitted, whole | Stone removed, shape retained | Retail packs, snacking, catering | Metal detected post-pitting |
| Diced / chopped | Coated to prevent agglomeration | Bakery, cereal, bars | Specify the anti-caking coating |
| Paste | Milled, smooth | Bars, fillings, sugar replacement | Sold as a functional ingredient |
| Date sugar / powder | Dried and milled | Bakery, beverage | To order |
Specification
Moisture, softness grade and size to agreed specification. Microbiology and pesticide residue reported per lot. Pitted lines are metal detected after pitting as standard.
Packing
5 kg and 10 kg food-grade cartons with liner, or bulk cases for paste. Palletised and wrapped. Retail-ready and private-label packing available.
Applications
Retail and gifting packs, Ramadan and seasonal ranges, bakery and confectionery, cereal bars and snacks, and refined-sugar-replacement systems.
FAQ
Questions buyers ask
When should I place a Ramadan order?
Months ahead, not weeks. The better grades commit early and the price firms as the season approaches. If Ramadan volume matters to your year, talk to us in the autumn — the difference between planning and reacting on this line is the largest of anything we supply.
Are pitted dates checked for stone fragments?
Yes. Pitting is mechanical and no process is perfect, so pitted lines are metal detected afterwards and we agree a fragment tolerance in writing before shipment. If you are supplying a retail multiple, they will ask you for exactly this.
Can date paste replace sugar in our recipe?
Often, but not one for one. Paste brings moisture, fibre and its own browning behaviour, so it changes bake time and texture as well as sweetness. We can supply enough for a proper trial run before you commit to a pallet.
What is the minimum order?
One pallet per line. On a first order we will accept a mixed pallet across two or more lines so you can trial the range without committing a full pallet to each.
What testing is done before shipment?
Aflatoxin, pesticide residue, moisture, microbiology and foreign-matter screening as standard, reported on a Certificate of Analysis tied to the lot you are buying. We test before the goods ship, not after they land, because a failed consignment sitting in a UK bonded warehouse is nobody's idea of a saving.
Who handles importing and customs?
We do. Aarleez Ltd is the importer of record, clears GB import controls, and quotes delivered duty paid to your address, so the number you accept is the number you pay. Ex-warehouse collection is available if you prefer to run your own leg.
How long from order to delivery?
One to two weeks from order confirmation to a UK address on lines we hold or can draw against. Crop-dependent lines can take longer, and we quote the real date rather than the optimistic one.
Can you pack under our own brand?
Yes. Retail-ready and private-label packing is available, including nitrogen flush where shelf life matters. Send us your artwork and pack format and we will quote the packed price rather than the bulk price plus a vague conversion cost.
Also in the range
The rest of the dry fruit range.
Next step
Ask for a date quotation.
Tell us the format and the season you are buying for. We will send a delivered price with an honest view of where the market is going.