SHOP TALK

IF I’D KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW...

VICTORIA NICOL, owner, Two Sisters, Belfast

I worked as a project manager for Deloitte in London for 10 years until I had my first child, when I turned my attention to starting an artisan food and craft market in Wimbledon. It became hugely successful – by the end of the first year we had 500 traders on our books. In 2016, I left that behind to move back to Northern Ireland with my two girls (the two sisters) and took a job at a PR firm.

One day, my eldest daughter announced that the local taxi office was up for rent and suggested I open a food & crafts market there. We opened in January 2020 and two months later the pandemic struck. We went from zero to 100 overnight and it was a case of taking each day as it came, adapting to customer needs. 18 months in, we expanded into the unit next door, tripling the size of the shop and giving us space for kitchen facilities and some storage.

We don’t need much storage as we operate a ‘just in time’ policy, ordering little and often. The downside is that we have to keep a tight handle on stock. We don’t have a sophisticated system for doing this; staff have a list of duties, one of which is keeping track of stock.

This was something I brought from Deloitte, along with the importance of having good accounting systems. We deal with over 120 artisan suppliers, some of whom are not very digitally minded, so I take time every week to plug all the invoices into our accountancy software (Xero). This is particularly important at the moment as some suppliers are increasing their prices once or even twice a month. If we don’t keep an eye on this, our margins get squeezed and we quickly start losing money.

While the majority of our sales are from food, 35% are from non-food items such as pottery, jewellery and greetings cards, which have the advantage of being non-perishable and providing more generous profit margins.

Own-label has been the biggest eye-opener for me. We started by establishing our own coffee label, working with several roasters and packaging the beans ourselves. Now we’re wholesaling to other delis and have launched jams and chutneys. It has turned out to be a great way of getting our brand out there and increasing margins. I’d like to expand our range, alongside growing our outside catering business.

When I started Two Sisters I didn’t have an ambition. I just wanted something that would pay the bills and give me a work-life balance. I think you find your ambition when you find something you are passionate about. As for the work-life balance, I’m still searching for that.

IN A DEPARTURE from my normal retail anecdotes, I am going to give you a lecture. I had an absolutely abysmal experience last weekend while out with the family. We were in a lovely café in London, the kind of thing that usually has me part-inspired part-jealous. We had the kids with us, 7 and 4.

It was a disaster. This café cocked up on all the key child-friendly rules. Every single one. So, I’m now going to outline them for you all.

Rule 1: Have one safe option. Every family contains a fussy child so have something on the menu to placate them. Cheese sandwich, beans on toast, chicken nuggets. Yes, you hate it, but a family that can’t feed everyone won’t come back.

Rule 2: Unmentioned ingredients. For goodness sake, don’t leave out any visible ingredients from you descriptions. If scones have currents or the sausages include leeks, put it on the menu. Children will refuse point blank.

Rule 3: Herbs & garnishes. Make sure they are easily removable.

Rule 4: Chilli, pepper & spice. Don’t hide these in your menu. Always warn parents.

Rule 4: Poshing it up. Be kid-aware when

MODEL RETAILING

Wow, look at the price of this one…

CONFESSIONS OF A DELI OWNER

ANONYMOUS TALES FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER

Don’t burn the food. Kids are way more intolerant of “caramelisation” than adults.

you substitute posh ingredients for standard. Sourdough is too strong for young children’s teeth. Have an alternative. I’ve ripped o too many crusts, desperately hoping my child will get enough energy out of the pitiful remains of sandwiches. Also, don’t make your own “artisan” baked beans.

Rule 5: Have the gear. Plastic beakers, booster seats, buggy space, easy-to-navigate doorways.

Rule 6: Don’t burn the food. Kids are way more intolerant of “caramelisation” than adults.

Rule 7: Serve kids rst. This is my absolute golden rule. Even if you are running very slow out of the kitchen, push kids above other customers. Your paying customers (the parents) will relax when food is being eaten. Until that point, they are hypertense waiting for the kids to blow up. Parents will not mind waiting longer, and they will love you for your understanding.

Rule 8: Be exible. Parents will ask for pasta without sauces, no butter in sandwiches, warmnot-hot hot chocolate. They know their kids, help them keep the peace.

Rule 9: Cheaper/smaller portions. £12 for a good adult portion is great but have a child-sized version Children rarely clean their plates and remember that the meal has been very hard work for everyone. Don’t make it expensive too.

Rule 10: Occupy them. Puzzles, books, paper & crayons. It all allows for decent conversation among adults and keeps sticky ngers away from low-hanging stock.

Follow these rules, you will make parents very happy and they’ll come back. I guarantee it.

At least the little terrors are only your problem for an hour.

SOLVING EVERYDAY SHOPKEEPING DILEMMAS. IN MINIATURE.

That’ll be £3.50 for the cupcake. Go on, then. Say it! I’m expensive, am I?

I bet you haven’t factored in the rocketing ingredient prices.

Have any of you even considered that ALL of my costs have gone up, too?

Oh man. Here we go again. My goodness. How much?

FFD says: The cost-of-living crisis may be impacting the mood of consumers nationwide right now but value perceptions have been an eternal battle for independent retailers. Most customers don’t think about your own economic struggles, so don’t take their comments as personal criticism or rudeness. A little bit of justification (focus on the quality of the item in question) can still secure a sale. Just remember to keep your cool and be gentle, or you’ll get a bad reputation.

CODE OF PRACTICE

Technical and regulatory advice from the Guild of Fine Food’s Assured Code of Practice for Deli Retailing

This month we take a look at...

slicing products

• FIt is recommended that meat and cheese products are cut or sliced to order. However, if you need to batch-slice whole joints of meat, cooked ham, air-dried meats, whole processed sausages and cheeses, the manufacturer’s instructions must be followed.

• If no such instructions are provided, then as a minimum adhere to the given shelf life and never sell the product once the shelf life has expired. There is no requirement to reduce a shelf life (once opened) unless instructed by the producer.

Cut faces of meat products should be inspected for quality every day.

• Ideally, foods with a use-by date should be sold to customers several days prior to the expiry of the given use-by date, which should be provided to the customer.

• If meat is sliced in-house and displayed, the slices and the cut face of the remaining joint or sausage will not stay in peak condition for long, especially if left open to the air. Any slices and cut edges should be monitored visually to detect signs of deterioration, such as excessive dryness, and they should be kept covered with deli wrap as far as reasonably possible. Discard slices or trim cut edges.

• Any meat that has been pre-sliced for display should be kept covered and displayed in line with the manufacturer’s instructions. It is recommended that home cooked ham be given a 48-hour shelf-life once sliced.

• Cut faces of meat products should be inspected for quality at the beginning of every day.

The guide is available in PDF format and is free for Guild members. For non-members, it costs £250+VAT. To request a copy of the Code of Practice, or for further information, email support@gff.co.uk

Industry View

SPECIALITY & FINE FOOD FAIR EVENT MANAGER NICOLA WOODS ON SUSTAINABILITY

Recent months have seen the food & drink industry making headlines, as supply chain issues impact on supermarket shelves and the cost-ofliving crisis affects prices and profits.

In the midst of all this, it’s important that sustainability does not to get lost in the noise. I’m writing this column on what promises to be one of the hottest days the UK has seen since records began, and research only points to more of this in the years to come.

Food & drink brands and retailers have made huge strides towards more sustainable business practices in recent years, and I think we should be proud of the progress that’s been made.

At this year’s Speciality & Fine Food Fair, Charles Banks of thefoodpeople and Kelly Dowson of Good Sense Research will host a session delving into the 2022 Future Food Trend Tracker and examining the growth of major sustainability trends, alongside the community and Government-led initiatives that are impacting on the world of food & drink. Meanwhile, in the Taste the Trends Kitchen, Chef Steve Walpole will be hosting a session on Ethical Eating.

As always, we’ll have a host of food & drink brands putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to sustainability. Whether it’s Easy Jose Coffee Roasters, who are working closely with indigenous communities to grow incredible specialty coffee; waterdrop, whose micro-drinks mean a 98% saving of plastic (and who collect plastic bottles from the environment with every package sold); or Crumbs Brewing, who are turning “wonky” bread into a range of delicious beers – we’re constantly amazed and delighted by the creativity on show.

But the goalposts are always moving, and we’d encourage anyone reading to do what you can, do what’s achievable for your business, and to be honest with your audience about where you are on your sustainability journey. If you’d like any support, or if you’d like to point us towards businesses leading the way in this area, please get in touch.

specialityfinefoodfairs.co.uk

WHAT’S TRENDING

1 NICK BAINES KEEPS YOU UP TO DATE WITH THE NEWEST DISHES, FLAVOURS AND INNOVATIONS IN FOOD & DRINK

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1 ‘Functional’ foods Whether it’s mushroom tea from brands such as Dirtea, or on-the-go drinks like PEAK, ’functional’ is a term you can expect to start seeing a lot of when it comes to products in the wellness field. What marketers are alluding to here, are foods that have extra benefits beyond baseline nutrition. This could be helping lower cholesterol, but also improving focus or sleep. While it sits in line with the likes of adaptogenic, or nootropic, it’s something to keep an eye on, be it tea blends like Twist-Tea’s Boost or confectionary from Wana Functional Sweets.

2 Guava-forward The tropical assault continues, particularly in the beer world, with guava proving the latest fruit de jour. Earlier this year Brewdog launched its Hazy Jane made with guava, as did Brulo with its Mango Guava 0.0% IPA made in collaboration with North Brewing Co. This comes at a time when Beavertown has just re-released Tropigamma, its IPA infused with the pulp of pineapple and, you guessed it, guava. It’s not just fermented, hop-forward refreshments in on the action, either. Candy Kittens is knocking out sweets made from raspberry & guava too.

3 Kombucha continues The rising tide of kombucha is spilling into the mainstream, with the supermarkets paying more and more attention to the category. Purity Brewing, which carved its name producing craft beer, has recently launched a kombucha line that’s gone straight into Planet Organic in 330ml cans and a larger format 1 litre bottle. Fix8 has just revealed a rebrand, as well as going into Ocado. At the smaller end of the scale, cafés – like Dorset’s Miiko – are brewing their own house-made ferments, which offer good margins.

WORLD CHEESE MARKET 2022 CHEESEWORLD

The World Cheese Market takes place on 2 November, World Cheese alongside the world’s most important cheese awards, at the alongside the world’s International Conference Centre Wales. International Conference

• Welsh Food & Drink showcase and sampling • Welsh Food & Drink • Over 30 trade stands, including cheesemakers, a neurs and cheese accessories • Over 30 trade stands, • Young Cheesemonger of the Year, organised by• Young Cheesemonger the Academy of Cheese • Watch the Super Jury decide the World Champion cheese 2022 • Watch the Super • • Unparalleled dairy industry networking Unparalleled Who should attend? Anyone who buys, sells, or makes cheese in a trade environment • Deli, farm shop and food hall buyers • Importers and exporters • Food & drink journalists • Cheesemakers and a neurs

Who should Anyone cheese

WORLD CHEESE AWARDS KEY DATES 2022

Open for entry: 25 July Closed for entry: 20 September Judging: 2 November Results available: 4 November

To register for your free trade or press ticket visit www.g .co.uk/worldcheesemarket

Organised by

Principal Global Partner

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