Hi all
Gosh I can't believe we're nearly half way through December already! This year really has flown by despite all the life changes we have all had to go through in one way or another. Personally, I am glad to see the end of this year, but I am also taking time to reflect on the fact that Big Fat Brownies would probably not have been launched if we had had a more normal year.
And on that note, I'd like to add that we have been in business now for just over a month! I am definitely going to celebrate that win as well as the growing number of followers (196 FB followers as of today) and brownie orders we are receiving week after week. Thanks to you all for your support - it really has been a great way to end off 2020.
The last two weeks have been super busy as we were invited to trade at a food market in Wimbledon and Raynes Park. The Artisan Food and Craft Market started at the beginning of November, unfortunately right at the start of Lockdown 2.0. So they were only allowed to trade in food and beverages, which was a shame for the artisanal crafters out there, but worked fairly well for us. When we lived in South Africa, we actually ran a market, so I can absolutely appreciate how much work and energy goes into pulling one of these off successfully. It was quite a nice change of pace being on the other side of the market this time as a trader rather than an organiser. Here are my 5 learnings from our two weekends of trade:
1) Be prepared - Fortunately I am a fairly organised person with loads of admin and restaurant experience. A large whiteboard and properly populated excel spreadsheets are my BFF's when it comes to planning for an event such as a market. Recipes should be up to date with weights, measurements and costs, so that you know how much of which ingredient to order ahead of time and where you can buy it from. TIP: always order more than you need, in case there are any mishaps in the kitchen!
2) Sort your music - Carefully chose an appropriate playlist to have playing in the background whilst you bake. It will make the hours pass by so much faster if you can have a bit of a boogie while you're shaking and baking!
3) Wear sensible shoes and keep hydrated - It is so easy to "forget to eat" or drink for that matter as you move from one task to the next. Especially when you're baking volumes of items and you just want to get it done! So have quick protein-filled snacks and water/tea/coffee nearby to get you through the day. Wear comfortable shoes that have a good padded sole. Your back will thank you for it after standing for 10 hours!
4) Enlist help in return for pocket money - if you, like me, have little people in your house who are old enough to lend a hand, then a promise of a little bit of pocket money goes a long way. I don't let mine touch any of the food bits as I run a strict kitchen and am particularly pedantic about hygiene. But I do ask them to do other things for me, like pour me some water or grab me a snack when I need it (see point number 3 above). They can also help to pack the car :)
5) Boots and feet warmer pads are your friends - At the market, expect mud and cold floors and plan accordingly. Even in my lovely fleece lined made-for-the-outdoors knee high boots, my feet still froze standing on the cold muddy floor for the better part of 6 hours. So take my advice and get those sticky foot warmer thingies. They are the bomb!
We had two cracker days of trade the past two Sundays at the market. We can't unfortunately trade this weekend as we have a big corporate Christmas order to fill, but we will be back on Sunday the 20th December and look forward to seeing you there!
Have an awesome week everyone!
xx Janine