As John quite famously said to Mrs Craddock 'May all your doughnuts turn out like fannies'. I wasn't quite looking for that, but I was going to give my first trip out my best shot.
I had already made some muffins for my friend Sue's village art festival, but that was a donation of a dozen blueberry and white chocolate and a dozen double choc chip. In reality only a third of them made it to the festival as Sue thought they looked so nice she would purloin a fair few.
Granted, my first commercial outing was to start quite small, a school fete! but I was hoping to make it a profitable day.
I guess its always difficult to access demand and this is not the type of venture where you spend ages doing market research. Consequently, I was a little anxious that I didn't take too make too many buns and get left with a load of stock. While I am partial to a muffin every now and then, one is quite sufficient.I had decided that I would keep it simple and just make Muffins and Scones.
The 'gig' was at my sisters school. The annual summer fare rents out tables to budding entrepreneurs for just £10.00 and you get to keep all the money.
It was only for three hours on the Friday afternoon and to be quite honest, I was a little excited.The menu 'if thats what you call it' was thus:-
- Blueberry and White Chocolate Muffins
- Banana and White Choc-Chip Muffins
- Lemon Muffins
- Double Choc-Chip Muffins
- Chocolate and Mashmallow Muffins
- Apple and Cinnamon Muffins
- Fruit Scones
It was very easy, bish bash bosh and done. The kitchen looked like a bomb had hit it, but the produce looked superb. I was tempted to test out the fruits of my labours but to be honest they looked fine so they were straight from the oven, cooled on a wire rack, dressed and boxed in the bargain plastic containers that I had bought for transporting from Wilkinsons (They have some pretty good bargains !!)
As I'm still without a car (I'll stop saying this when I get one ... honest !) my sisters partner had kindly offered to transport the goodies over to the school in Sheffield and I was going to travel on my bike.
How did it go ?
BRILLIANT
Within 50 minutes I had sold out of everything. I got loads of complements on the presentation but of course, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I was helped by a couple of ladies who sat by the side of my stall, munching away at a bluberry and white chocolate and Banana and white chocolate muffin that they said were to die for.
My pockets filled with pound coins, I was well chuffed.
I'm sure I was underpriced and could probably have sold at least double the amount but that's all part of the learnng. I have been asked to do the same at the Christmas fayre in December. Looking foward to that already. In the meantime I think I will have a little look around and see if there are any other opportunities. I have all the 'consumables' now in terms of tray's, containers, bags etc. The job was a gud un.
I didn't get any photo's as my sister clearly has no idea how to use an iPhone camera but that's OK.
