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shop organic spices online pinch spice market

FAQs About Our Organic Spices

Questions about an order or how Pinch Spice Market rolls? Check these out:

Are Your Spices Certified Organic?

Yes, we source from certified organic farms. There are a few exceptions when no organic version of a spice exists, such as salt (which cannot be labelled as organic because it’s a mineral mined from the Earth) and sumac, which is wild harvested. In those cases we do not have organic labelling on those products.

Does Organic Matter When it Comes to Spices?

Yes. Here’s a ton of reasons why it matters to shop organic, fair trade, ethical and high quality spice companies like Pinch.

Are Your Spices Irradiated?

Good question and nope! We use dry steam. Never irradiated. Read more about why that matters here.

Are Your Spices Gluten-Free? Is Gluten Used/Processed in Your Spice Shop?

All of our products are gluten free. We have close friend with a severe case of Celiac Disease and take this very seriously. There is no gluten in our spice shop/factory equipment either. Here’s some more info about gluten in spices.

Are There Peanuts or Tree Nuts in Your Products or Do You Process Peanuts or Nuts in Your Facility?

No, we do not have peanuts or tree nuts in any of our spice blends, nor do we process them in our facility. We do sell organic and fair trade nutmeg, but that’s not actually a nut, it’s a fruit!

Are You a Sustainable, Eco-Friendly Spice Company?

Yes, helping this planet heal and thrive is one of our top priorities as a company. You can learn more about our sustainability practices here.

Do You Offer Plastic-Free Glass Spice Bottles?

Yes, we offer empty glass jars (with metal lids) for you to pour our spices in and repurpose as you wish. They come with easy-peel labels so you can easily repurpose them. Each jar is 2.3 inches wide x 3.8 inches tall. They are square with slightly rounded edges (this square shape optimizes space in your spice cabinet). They hold 6 fluid ounces & fit most of our 2, 4 and 6-ounce bulk spice bags. The fit depends on density of spice. For example, salts are more dense than lighter herbs like oregano or parsley. Some sizes of our bulk spice bags will not fully fit in these jars. In that case, just re-seal the bag and store in a dark, cool place, refilling the jar when needed.

We still use flat-pack bulk bags to hold our spices because they are lighter, making their shipping carbon footproot (and your shipping costs) much lower. We think these are a great option for people looking for glass storage.

Do You Practice Fair and/or Direct Trade?

Yes, we purchase direct from farmers and practice fair trade. We believe in ethically sourcing all our spices and herbs. Unfortunately, there are a few instances where fair trade is not available for certain spices in certain countries.

We’re proud to have personal relationships with many of our spice farmer partners and processors, and that’s who we purchase a majority of our spices from. In fact, we’ve visited quite a few of them on their farms in Sri Lanka, India and other parts of the world. You can learn more about that here. We work to make new connections with awesome certified organic spices all the time.

organic spice processing plant      organic farmer in sri lanka

Are Your Spices Vegetarian and/or Vegan?

Our products are vegetarian and vegan EXCEPT for these:

Meaghan, one of the owners, is a vegetarian and takes this very seriously. We’ll try to update this every time a new product is added, but please always check the ingredients listed on each page/product as we’ll always notate every ingredient.

When Will I Receive My Spices?

We typically ship orders out the same or next business day. During the holidays sometimes it takes a few days. We’re based in Louisville, KY.

With USPS, typical shipping time to your door is 2-4 days, although sometimes there can be delays outside of our control.

If you choose UPS Air Mail, your package should arrive in 1-2 days.


Do You Ship Outside the USA?

We do not regularly ship outside the USA, but we may be able to make exceptions for larger orders. If you would like spices shipped to another country, please contact us. If you’re in Canada, you can find some of our spices on Amazon.CA.

We do ship to Hawaii and Alaska, to U.S. Service Members living abroad, and to U.S. territories like Puerto Rico and Guam.


I’m in Louisville. Can I Shop Online & Pick Up at Your Factory?

Yes! If you don’t want us to mail your order to you (we typically ship the same or next business day and USPS typically delivers it locally in a day), you are welcome to pick up at our spice factory at no charge. We are located at 110 N. 13th Street, Louisville KY, 40203. Here’s how to arrange your pickup:

  1. Shop online and select “Free Local Pickup” at checkout
  2. We’ll email you when your order is ready for pickup
  3. Let us know what day/time works best for you to come pick it up (usually between 10:30am – 3:30pm, M-F, but as a small, family-owned and operated business, sometimes hours change when things pop up – we will be sure to let you know if that’s the case). If you need something ASAP we recommend you call us first and we can likely arrange a quick pick up; otherwise, orders are usually ready by the next business day.
  4. When you arrive at our spice factory, pull your bike or car into the gravel parking on the side of the building and call us at (773) 219-3194
  5. We’ll bring your order out to your car (sorry, we’d love to have you in but our spice factory is closed to the public due to safety reasons)

Here’s directions to our place and a map of where to park:

directions to pinch spice market local pickup

 

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I’m Looking for a Certain Spice but I Don’t See it on Your Website – Can You Still Get it/Make it for Me?

In short, yes. We’re always on the hunt for new sources of high quality organic spices (our standards are extremely high), and we continue to make new spice blends. If there’s something you’re looking for, let’s chat.

Can You Make Me My Own Custom Spice Blend? Do You Offer Gift Favors and Corporate White Labelling?

custom spice party favors

Yes, we’d love to! We’ve done this for weddings, baby showers, corporate gifts, Community Supported Agriculture Shares (CSAs) and other events. Please contact us if you’re interested in creating a custom spice blend and/or custom spice labels on existing blends.

Do You Offer Wholesale Pricing or B2B Services?

Yes. Many of our products are already deeply discounted when you buy our 1 and 5-pounds bags. If you don’t see 1 or 5 pound sizes for a spice you’re looking for – or you’re looking to purchase in larger quantities – please contact us. We have direct relationships with farmers and offer competitive pricing.

Do You Have a Friend Referral Program Where I Can Earn Pinch Spice Credit When Friends and Family Buy Spices from You?

Funny you ask, we do! Share your favorite spice company with your friends and family and you’ll get $5 Pinch credit for every friend who makes a purchase with us. No limits! Learn more about our friend referral program here.

What’s Your Return Policy?

If there’s any issue within 30 days of purchase, we will resolve it for you via refund, exchange, replacement or return. We want you to be happy. If there’s a problem, please contact us. Here’s our official returns policy for more information.

What’s This I Hear About a Spice Vending Machine?

We have created the WORLD’S FIRST spice vending machine! It’s located at The Mellwood Art Center.

Directions are here and you can learn more about it, including see a list of spices currently available in it, here.

spice vending machine louisville organic seasonings

Who Are You People, Anyway?

We’re Thomas McGee and Meaghan Thomas, partners in life and in spice. And yes, Thomas’ first name is Meaghan’s last name. Kinda fun. Sometimes we refer to ourselves as Thomas & Thomas. Learn more about who we are and the Pinch story here.


How Do I Contact You?

If you have any questions about your order or spices in general, email us at pinch@pinchspicemarket.com. You can also find our phone number here.