Making the Most of Markets

With new markets popping up here, there and everywhere, it's important to stand out. You know how it's important to smile, have plenty of stock (no running out before 12!) and arrive to set up on time, but what makes some stalls more special than others? Here are a couple of tricks and tips I've picked up along the way...

1. Have Your Wholesale Pack To Hand

Last Saturday, I walked around a popular local market and I came across a fantastic looking gluten free stall selling an incredible array of baked treats. They looked great, were priced well and I couldn't wait to talk shop. My opening line is pretty straight to the point. 'Do you have a card for trade enquiries?' 

Before I'd even got to the 't' in 'trade', I was sharply interrupted. 'We don't do cards.' she scowled, before turning away to rustle at something under the table. I mean, geez. All I wanted was to distribute her products for her.

Competition is fierce in the food product industry and be it trade show, market stall or bus stop, you never know who you might get chatting to. Always have your wholesale pack ready to go, complete with photos of your product range and crucial info such as delivery rates, pack sizes and contact details - you can never be too small or too new to get one ready and just planning it helps you focus on how you want to grow.

2. Pick The Right Staff And Then Teach Them

I can't begin to tell you how many confused, apathetic and dopey stall workers I've met. No matter how wonderful the product is, the whole experience becomes muddied by this one bad exchange and leaves me reluctant to return, while someone who's passionate and bubbly makes me want to tell the world about them. Working at a market stall might seem like easy and unskilled work, but getting it right could make all the difference and getting it wrong could run your business to the ground. In a market environment, people expect higher levels of passion, enthusiasm and warmth from stallholders than they would from their local supermarket - your stall needs to reflect that.

Start by writing down the answers to questions customers often ask and the things that make them go 'ooh!'. What's in your stuff? How is it made? What's different? What's the most popular flavour? And then ask your staff - even if at this point they're just your sister, your wife or your best mate lending a hand - to role play with you while you behave like the most difficult customer you've ever had. It might seem like light-hearted fun at first, but you will be able to quickly spot things that you deem to be unprofessional. Are they quick with packing? Is the float organised, or a mass of jumbled coins? Are they gracious and warm, or disinterested and cold? You'd be surprised to see how someone else might not do what you take for granted.

And never, ever let them eat on the job. Ask a fellow stallholder to watch your stock while they sneak off for a quick sandwich. Nobody wants to buy anything from someone with their mouth full of cheese and pickle.

3. Shoeboxes

As well as providing handy storage for when you're packing away, small boxes are great for propping things up under your tablecloth so that your stall looks enticing and full, without the need for stacks and stacks of product. Rymans do a great selection of plastic boxes that flat pack for transporting as well as 'russian doll' style boxes that pack one into the other, so you don't need a fleet of vans to set up shop. If you're on a shoestring budget, drop in on your local corner shop, who always have a stack of (often pristine) boxes that would otherwise go straight into the recycling. Varying heights is a great way to catch the eye as well as upsell your range, clearly communicating which products are more premium than others. Don't forget to make sure your tablecloth is big enough to cover it all!

4. Never Forget You're On Display

Make sure that you have an idea of what your stall is going to look like at the beginning of the day, in the middle of the day (when you'll be at your busiest) and at the end of the day when (hopefully!) you'll have less than half your stock left. Everyone dreams about the beginning, when everything looks perfect, but it's important to think about the other times too. During the middle of the day, your focus should be on convenience and efficiency. For example, your packing materials e.g. brown paper, bags, cards should be laid out in order and the entire payment, packing and handover process should last no longer than a minute. It hurts too much to watch people walk away because you're taking too long! Towards the end of the day, make sure you know how to arrange your stall quickly so that it is as appealing as it was earlier, just smaller. There's nothing worse than a jumbled, untidy, patchy stall after the lunch rush. A bit like the last bruised banana on a supermarket shelf, nobody wants to pick up what feels like nobody else really wanted.

5. Know Your Goals

This is probably the most important point but one that often falls by the wayside. Why are you at the market? To sell stuff? Duh? Come on... To grow your business, you need to think harder than that! Markets are often the starting point for many food businesses. Make sure that you know what you want to get out of it, which might not always be to turn a profit on that day. Perhaps you want to try out a new range, so your focus will be on leaving out samples of those and asking what people think. Or perhaps you want to experiment with your pricing, so your focus will be on observing people's reactions when they read your prices. Of course, the immediate goal will almost always be to push sales, but bear the bigger picture in mind. Where do you want to be and how is this market stall going to take you there?

By Tara, Kitchen Table Projects Founder

Amazing Artisans: Sweet Treats - Featuring Lin, Founder of Belinda Clark Gourmet Confectioner and Ben, Founder of Benjamin Chocolatier

We've been having a sweet week at the Kitchen Table Projects HQ, chatting to Chocolateir Ben and Confectioner Lin all about their decadent and oh-so-moorish products. Read on for a peek into the life of a artisan confectioner - and remember, you can find the full interviews with Ben and Lin on our website, too.

Lin - Belinda Clark Gourmet Confectioner
As a foodie and an avid cook, Lin’s big idea for her confectionery business started as a sweet-tooth driven hobby. After giving up her day job in order to pursue her passions full-time, she now devotes her days to making and selling her delicious creations, so naturally we were keen to find out more. Lin came up with the idea for her business after trying a recipe from a magazine for raspberry marshmallow on her co-workers. After a whole lot of praise for her products and regular requests from her co-workers, Lin began to wonder if their was a market for selling her sweet treats full time. A few Google searches later, Lin began to see a real trend in the confectionery market for Marshmallows, giving her the confidence to start making her treats to sell in shops. When her business became too big to run during her lunch break at work, Lin knew it was time to take the plunge and become self-employed - setting up the company that she successfully runs today. Like every entreprenuer she says she has encountered numerous problems whilst building her business, but says that she remains motivated because she is in charge of her 'own destiny'. She loves what Kitchen Table Projects is doing, and thinks artisan food producers need 'all the help they can get.' We think what Lin's doing is great and wish her every success for the future.

Read Lin's interview in full on the website, here. Feeling indulgent? You can find Lin and all her delicious products on her website here, or find her tweeting about her tasty treats @BCConfectioner.

Ben - Benjamin Chocolatier
Working with chocolate has always been a part of Ben - as he puts it, he's 'got chocolate running through my veins'! Growing up in Europe's chocolate capital, Belgium, helped - he said he could always be found 'raiding my parents' stash of luxury chocolate. Ben's career began in law, before turning to food, working under numerous Michelin start chefs, starting up his own cheese and wine business and a private dining business, as well as being a prolific food writer and reaching the final of Masterchef in 2007. Phew! It was a really great to be able to speak to an artisan who is so experienced in the food industry. Ben says that the best part of being an amazing artisan is 'having the opportunity to create a product you really believe in.' We want to encourage people to create things they are passionate about - life is a lot sweeter if you're waking up to do something you love every day.

Read Ben's interview in full on the website, here. You can find Ben and his chocolates here, but if you're interested in finding out more about the other services Ben has to offer, head on over here. You can also find Ben's sweet-tooth musings on Twitter, @BenjaminChoc.

Are you an Amazing Artisan who wants to be featured on our blog? We'd love to hear from you- drop us a Tweet @KitchTablePro with the hashtag #AmazingArtisan or send us a message to hello@kitchentableprojects.com

Industry Insiders: Helen Santer,

We love hearing from other Londoners who are keen to champion small businesses, so it was great to catch up with Helen, from Waterloo Quarter to find out about all the amazing things they're up to at the moment. They're mission is to make Waterloo a better place to do business, and are working on loads of cool projects to make sure that happens. Helen shares her thoughts on small businesses, startups, and supporting independents.

Tell us a bit about yourself! Who are you and what do you do?

I’’m Helen Santer. I run Waterloo Quarter, which is a Business Improvement District (BID) that works with 320 businesses next to Waterloo station. Local businesses pay a small annual levy  to Waterloo Quarter, which we use to run projects to improve the area. I am also the Director of Lower Marsh Market. Lower Marsh is a historic street market in Waterloo, which went through a long period of decline, but has recently benefited from significant investment and a growing number of stalls. We run lots of services to support our members – ranging from recycling to events, a promotional website and lobbying the Council on issues that affect them.

What does your typical day look like?

My typical day is very varied – I can be setting budgets with the Directors, meeting new members, commissioning new projects and supporting the team with delivering events – all in the space of a few hours!

What does ‘Artisan’ mean to you?

‘Artisan’ to me means something made with love and attention. It doesn’t need to mean expensive or exclusive, but it does need to mean high quality and made from the heart.

How can small artisans stand out?

Small artisans can stand out by focusing on their unique qualities that make them so different from larger producers and chains. By focusing on the quality of the product and the personality behind it artisans can give themselves a real point of difference.

How do you think small artisan food producers should be supported?

Small artisan food producers deserve our support. At Lower Marsh Market we offer very favourable rates to producers looking to trade and support them with their marketing as they start out on the market. We also work with food producers looking for retail space in the area, putting them in touch with landlords with appropriate space to let.

What are your words of wisdom for starting out?

To anyone starting out as an artisan food producer I would say have faith in the quality of your product and be honest about your sales skills. The most fantastic product in the world will struggle to sell if customers are not tempted in and encouraged to come back. Consider whether you need any support to improve your sales skills or whether it’s worth partnering up with someone who does this better than you.

What do you think about our big ideas and what we’re trying to achieve?

We’re completely sold on Kitchen Table Projects’ model for creating a food hub that supports emerging artisans to access the high street. Street markets in particular present an affordable opportunity for even the newest start-up to access a piece of the high street. From a consumer perspective, this can only be a good thing, as it increases the range, affordability and point of difference to the high street, helping it to stand out from the norm.

We love what Waterloo Quarter are doing and think their ideas are great. To find out more about Waterloo Quarter BID visit www.waterlooquarter.org, and for all the information about Lower Marsh Market visit www.lowermarshmarket.co.uk. For all queries, please email info@waterlooquarter.org

Are you an Industry Insider who wants to be featured on our blog? We'd love to hear all your foodie insider tips and tricks- drop us a Tweet @KitchTablePro with the hashtag #IndustryInsiders or send us a message to hello@kitchentableprojects.com

July at Kitchen Table Projects

Wow...is it August already?! Last month our feet didn’t seem to touch the ground! We were lucky enough to attend a really useful New Product Development conference hosted by Roythornes, wrote about our favourite Independent London Delis, celebrated Independents' Day tested some tasty new products from our Amazing Artisans, and met loads of inspiring people, too. In fact, our Amazing Artisan page on the website  is starting to look pretty busy. It’s home to all the amazing producers that we’ve interviewed and is bursting with loads of great startup stories and foodie adventures.

Alongside our Amazing Artisans feature, we’ve also been speaking to some food industry professionals who have lent us (and you) their thoughts on the ever-changing food world. In our Industry Insiders feature, we talk to people with a wealth of experience in various areas, from branding and marketing to people who have set up their own successful business from scratch. Whatever area they specialise in, we believe that what they’ve got to say is incredibly important and it’s always useful to learn from other people’s experiences.

We've also spent the past month doing lots of research into the shopping habits of the foodie world. We’ve been talking to people about where they like to buy their food, what they like to eat and, most importantly, what they’d like to see on their high streets and what their dream food hub would look like. Last week we started to take a good look at your responses to our questionnaire and discovered some really interesting trends. Contrary to the popular opinion that the high street is dying, you guys interestingly told us that you love the high street and would love to see it filled with more independent retailers. This is great news for us - we love everything independent and would love to see more indies on the high street. But don’t take our word for it, have a look at our results and tell us what you think! Do you agree? Do think that high street retail retail is ready for a revival, or is all your shopping done online? We’d still love to hear all your thoughts - please take a few moments of your time to help a fellow foodie and fill out our online survey.

We’re already looking forward to August and all the exciting things we’ve got planned - watch this space! And as always, you can find us tweeting away @KitchTablePro, or on Facebook, too.

Is the High Street Dead?

It’s been a pretty busy one this month at Kitchen Table Projects. We’ve spent lots of time making  our website awesome, chatting to loads of Amazing Artisans, picking up some hints and tips from the Industry Insiders on our blog, and discovering what fellow foodies love to eat, where they like to buy it, and what they want to see on their high street. We love shopping at independents, so can see why you guys do, too. While the media are readily hailing the ‘death of the high street’, 2 out of every 3 foodies who have taken part in our questionnaire told us they choose to shop at an independent grocer at least once a week. In fact, whilst 60% of you said that you get your weekly shop from a big chain supermarket, 45% said that they visited their local market at least once a month - How great is that?!

And whilst it’s undeniable that the supermarket giants are king for convenience, 75% of you guys told us that you are bored are what you see there and love to discover interesting new products and support independent trade. So is the future of the high street all that cloudy?

With 2.5 billion internet users across the globe, we are constantly driven by what we see, read and who we talk to on the internet. You might be reading this blog on some kind of mobile device, and chances are you Tweet, Facebook your friends, and Instagram all your pictures quicker than you can say ‘Valencia’ (that’s an photo filter - for those of you not so versed in the terms of the insta-world). It’s quick and it’s accessible, and for many retailers, it’s ideal. The power of the ‘click-and-buy’ has made shopping online easier than ever, and it’s predicted that by 2015 90% of music, 70% of books and 40% of electricals will be bought over the internet. 

That sounds like pretty bad news for the high street, right? Well actually, no. 50% of you guys told us that you rarely or never shop online, choosing to pound the pavements and take to the high street to pick up your weekly shop. What’s more, every single one of you guys that took part in our questionnaire told us that they wanted to see more independent retailers on our high streets.

So is the high street really dying, or is it just that our ideas about what we want to see there are radically changing? Despite living our lives on the internet, retail experts have insisted on a continued desire for bricks-and-mortar shops. We are humans after all, not robots (well, for now anyway), and social interaction as well as the opportunity to look at, touch and smell a product remains a huge pull of the physical retail experience. 

Retailers have responded to this by adopting experiential shopping destinations; places that incorporate the virtual social world into the the physical retail shop. These shops are no longer solely focused on the transaction, but instead aim to offer a social experience which is both entertaining and pleasurable for the shopper. Think about the last time you visited your local high street. Was there some kind of interactive experience? Did you tweet about something you saw there? Chances are you didn’t just walk in, make your purchase and leave; shoppers now expect destinations which are both fun and interactive to shop at.

We think this is great. At Kitchen Table Projects we’re all about championing the high street, and think that it’s really important to enhance the retail experience, not only for our customers, but for our artisans, too. We’re creating a space for artisans to share their stories with the people who can’t wait to discover them, and to collaborate with other producers. Experience is at the heart of everything we do, and we believe that everything is better when we work together.

But do you agree with what we’re saying, or do you really think that the high street is on it’s way out? Do you live for online shopping or are you in love with independents? We want to know what you want to see on your high street so we can create a food hub that you love to shop at, buying the food that you love to eat. You can help us do this by sharing your thoughts here, or if you’re just curious to find out some more interesting facts from our foodie research, then head on over here. We want to revolutionise retail, and with your help, we can be one step closer to doing so!

Amazing Artisans: Breakfast Bites - Featuring Primrose, Founder of Primroses Kitchen and Henny, Founder of ROAR! Porridge Pods

We’re all a bunch of breakfastaholics here at Kitchen Table Projects, so were super excited to chat to  this week’s Amazing Artisans, Primrose and Henny, about their quirky takes on a breakfast staples. In a double Amazing Artisan Feature, Primrose and Henny tell us all about the startup journeys that took their brainwaves to the bowl. Remember, this blog post is only an artisan snap shot - you can find the full interviews with Primrose and Henny, as well as the rest of our amazing artisans on our website, right here!

Primrose, Primroses Kitchen
Primrose started her business with a background in naturopathy and homeopathy, and used her knowledge and experience in food and nutrition as a starting point for her unique muesli. Her cereal is full of fab flavours, incorporating unusual ingredients such as beetroot and carrot to create a colourful and novel tasting product that's super good for you, too. Motivated to start her own business by her passion for health and fitness, Primrose told us she really wanted to do something everyday that she 'loved...inspired [her]'. She loves the creativity that comes with running your own business, as well as the flexibility that allows her 'to go for a walk with the dog when I wanted to, or being able to have an afternoon off if the sun is shining.' Most of all, like all our artisans, she loves getting positive feedback from her customers, and thinks its great to see people everyday enjoying her product. She has since expanded her range to raw nut butters and a variety of nutritional powders and remains committed to encouraging a healthy lifestyle in line with the principles of Naturopathy.

Interested to find out more about Primrose and her products? She's got lots on her website about the principles of a naturopathic diet, and you can pick up all her products there, too. Alternatively, you can find her tweeting away @PrimrosesKit or on Facebook here.

Henny, ROAR! Porridge Pods
Henny started her business when she got fed up with the 'added sugar' breakfast pots that you regularly see on the shelves of the supermarket. She saw a gap in the market for a breakfast pots that were both 'delicious and healthy', so headed to the kitchen to concoct the Porridge Pods you see today. With a background in catering and design, Henny saw a natural progression towards starting her own business, wanting 'to create a business I could be proud of and work for myself around a lifestyle I wanted.' Henny knew it wasn't going to be easy; 'The hours are varied and there's certainly no 9-5, but it's very different when you are working for yourself.' Putting in the extra hours means it's extra rewarding, and she says that she loves that '[Your business is] all yours and you make every decision. When it works it's an incredible feeling. ' We couldn't agree more; we really appreciate how hard artisans work and think it's really important for them to get the recognition they deserve.

Love the sound of ROAR! pods and want to find out some more? Head over to the ROAR! website to find out more about getting your hands on these tasty breakfast pots, or find them tweeting away on twitter @roarmuseli.

Are you an Amazing Artisan who wants to be featured on our blog? We'd love to hear from you- drop us a Tweet @KitchTablePro with the hashtag #AmazingArtisan or send us a message to hello@kitchentableprojects.com

Industry Insiders: Tessa Stuart

This week we were super excited to speak to supermarket guru and brand extraordinaire Tessa Stuart. She chatted to us about all her insider hints and tips, as well as sharing what she thinks are the three key things that make a successful food brand.

Who are you and what do you do?

I am Tessa Stuart and I'm a "shopper stalker". I work in the supermarket aisles, watching shoppers making their choices, and asking them EXACTLY what triggered them in those 20-30 seconds or so of attention to reach out and choose that food. I find out how and why food products get noticed. I recommend certain tweaks to packaging, price, presentation, and words on pack, to get those products really flying off that shelf. Sales are critical to survival in the very competitive supermarket environment. If you don't sell, you don't stay on shelf. I help my food clients survive and thrive. I check that their products are doing all they can to attract attention and sales.

I provide affordable "by the hour"consulting to food start-ups on packaging options, branding ideas, and new products, bookable at www.packedbranding.co.uk. My book of tips on branding and packaging for success, Packed: The Food Entrepreneur's Guide, How to Get Noticed And How To Be Loved is available on Amazon and on Kindle. It includes tips from innocent drinks, rude health, graze and higgidy.

What is your business mantra?

My business mantra is ‘keep on keeping on’. Polite persistence always reaps rewards. And always ask, because you might just get it!

What do you think are the three key things that make a strong food brand?

1. Tasting fantastic.

2. Working out your margin right from the start so you can actually make money - always hard if you are aiming to create a high quality product with good ingredients.
3. Getting out there and letting everyone know - clearly - what you stand for.

Do you have any predictions on what will be trending in the foodie world in the next 6 months?

I think it's not so much about surfing a trend, but more about creating a product that fills a real gap in the market, or is significantly better. Trends come and go and you don't want to be "last year's model", or competing with a million other popcorn brands.

What’s the strangest product you’ve had to research?

The strangest product I have ever tested with customers was lupin seeds. In France they are very popular. They didn't go down well here!

Why do you love working with small businesses?

I really love the energy of small businesses, and it gives me a huge kick to help them grow and create jobs.

What do you think is the toughest part of starting a small food business?

The toughest part of starting a small business is not having enough hours in the day to do everything you want to achieve, and not taking a salary from the business in the early stages.

What are your words of wisdom for anyone thinking of starting a new business?

Be prepared that EVERYTHING takes much longer than you think it will to happen.

What do you think about our big ideas and what we’re trying to achieve?

[It’s] an utterly brilliant idea. All artisan businesses need friendly "shop-windows" and an enthusiastic network of like-minded start-ups and support helps them to celebrate the ups too!

You can find out some more about Tessa's work on her website, and can find her tweeting business tips and foodie advice here, too.

Are you an Industry Insider who wants to be featured on our blog? We'd love to hear all your foodie insider tips and tricks- drop us a Tweet @KitchTablePro with the hashtag #IndustryInsiders or send us a message to hello@kitchentableprojects.com