My First Sale!

I'm only slightly ashamed to admit that when I thought about my first stall, at the Bournemouth and Poole Coeliac Support Group's AGM and fish and chip quiz night, I tried to imagine it as a great success. I thought, if I was lucky, there'd be a nice clamour of people around the stall and I'd sell out of everything, especially since I didn't think I'd made enough.

Ahh...reality. Why does it always hit you with a slap around the face, rather than creeping in quietly so you have time to prepare?

First off, I actually managed to finish everything (yay!). And it all looked pretty good (double yay!). We got out there on time and set everything up...I think we did a pretty good job, all in all. What do you think?

L-R: Millionaire's shortbread and rocky road; lemon and lime cheesecake (on stand); cherry bakewell cupcakes; double chocolate fudge cookies and triple chocolate chunk cookies; chocolate caramel swirl cheesecake (on stand).

Anyway, the doors opened at 7pm and members of the committee began buying things just before. Over the following 40 minutes, I sold all of the lemon and lime cheesecake, most of the chocolate caramel swirl cheesecake (still don't understand why citrus is more appealing than chocolate!?), and around half the cupcakes. However, I only sold around 1/4 of the cookies, a few millionaire's shortbreads and TWO rocky roads.

Now, everyone in my family and my friends are doing their best to convince me the money I made is actually very good. I, on the other hand, am a bit on the crushed side. I know that I was using this as a 'dry run' to see how things went, so it's a learning experience rather than outright failure, but damn, I feel crappy about it!

But, focusing on the learning curve, this is what I have learned:

1) Whatever you think you might sell, make slightly less. It's better to sell out than have masses left over that you can't sell.
2) Cheesecake is MADLY popular! MAKE MORE CHEESECAKE!
3) Some people will always be unhappy. One woman stood at a distance, peering at the stall, complained that there was 'nothing there but chocolate' and even when her husband tried to convince here there WERE non-chocolate options, she grumped and walked off. You can't win over everyone.
4) ALWAYS have someone else there to work the money. I have serious troubles with numbers. So when a woman bought £4.50-worth of products, handed me a £10 note and a 50p piece to 'help', I panicked, and ended up having to call my husband over to help me work out what I was meant to be giving as change. I am bad with numbers at the best of times. But under pressure?! Meh!
5) Leftovers are dangerous. Today I have eaten a huge piece of millionaire's shortbread and a couple of cookies. And I'm contemplating another.

But onwards and upwards! I'm keeping my spirits up and hoping to do better next time. I'd like to try Wimborne Market next, to see how I can do there. I also want to try a few local cafe's to see if they'd be willing to stock some things. Will keep you updated on how I get on.

Until next time, food fans!