11 minute read
SHOP TALK
IF I’D KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW...
DAVID HOBSON-CLEVERLEY, founder, David’s Deli, Streatham
Walking home from the train station one day, it struck me that Streatham lacked a deli. People were buying houses here because it is affordable – compared with areas like Clapham and Balham – but the shops weren’t following them.
My theory has since been proved right. After being made redundant at the start of the pandemic I sat down with my husband, Sam, to consider my options. One was to build a business from the ground up. I started looking at what products I would want to sell and from this the identity for the business emerged: a cheesemonger and purveyor of fine British food.
I contacted the developer of a property scheme and was told Sainsbury’s had just pulled out, so a commercial unit was available. With Sam’s help (he is an accountant), I put together a branding pack and projections, and we secured the lease.
I was determined to open before Christmas because of the exposure and the trade that would afford us. We just about managed this, setting up with the bare essentials and opening 10 days before Christmas.
One of the biggest challenges was buying stock. It’s a Catch-22. Suppliers will only give you credit once you are established, but you need stock to get established. So we had no choice but to start small, buying on a credit card.
We made sure we invested heavily in cheese so, that on walking through the doors, shoppers were greeted with a fully stocked counter. In those first 10 days, we took £19,000, which surpassed all our expectations and got us up and running. The shelves may have looked a little empty but, in any case, I never wanted them full to bursting.
We are only a small team of six, but people love working here. The secret? Exceptional customer service. It’s a cyclical relationship; if we deliver great service, our customers will be happy and we will be happy.
The vast majority of our customers are regulars and this helps when coping with challenges such as wholesale price increases. Some of our suppliers have upped their prices five times in the last six months. Originally, we set our margins at 35-40%. However, they have now shrunk to 30-35% on most products and we have no choice but to pass on some of the cost. But because of the relationships we have with customers, I’m not nervous about explaining this.
Customers need to be greeted with a smile, thanked and remembered. It is so easy to get right and so damaging if you get it wrong.
IT’S COMING UP to that time of year again, when customers lose their inhibitions in the fog of Christmas. They fill baskets easily and quickly. In my little corner of the deli universe, we see customers we haven’t seen all year and we watch the regulars enjoying that moment of freedom to buy the things they’ve only been looking at for the previous 11 months.
I even enjoy the returning students coming back onto the team, all cocky and confident after their boozy term away at university.
I just love December. Everyone is happy, everyone is keen, there’s no holding back, it’s all about the joy of sharing fine food – and spending money in my shop!
One of the perks of being a deli owner is being surrounded by the good stuff all year round. Yes, it’s still an experience for me to inhale a good oil, savour that first spoonful of chutney or unwrap a beautiful piece of cheese. I’ve never lost my love of these fine things and, if anything, this joy has only grown over the many years I’ve been in my shop.
But, the thing is, I don’t think I realised how special it is for my customers. For them,
MODEL RETAILING
The usual cappuccino for you, Mrs Smith?
CONFESSIONS OF A DELI OWNER
ANONYMOUS TALES FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER
coming to my shop is something they plan and it’s part of their Christmas traditions.
We have people who come into the café in the week before Christmas, almost as soon as their relatives arrive – and have been doing so for many years. These customers often buy specific cheeses or dishes from our kitchen that they have been looking forward to for a family supper that has been a year in the making.
We often get the man of the house in his annual Official Cheese Buyer capacity, unlike the rest of the year when its wife who comes in. It’s a journey he enjoys and he is damn well going to make the most of it, and buy that pungent washed rind that nobody else wants on the cheeseboard.
Our Christmas order system is up and running. We’ve tried on several occasions to automate it or take it online but, for many of our customers, coming into the shop is part of the fun. They want to taste a few cheeses, see what we’ve got and hear some recommendations.
They like to look you in the eye and see you write that order down. We get a small window into their holidays: how many people there will be around the table, who is controversially not coming this year, who has got a new vegan boyfriend.
Just remember that – when you’re getting fed-up of cutting Stilton, struggling to stack the panettones or falling over boxes of Santashaped confectionery – it’s a massive privilege to share your shop with these customers, glimpse into their lives and grab a little bit of that joy for yourself.
SOLVING EVERYDAY SHOPKEEPING DILEMMAS. IN MINIATURE.
My local discount store has these little signs up everywhere showing how much cheaper it is than other shops. So, it must be good value, right? I do love coming in here, Mr Deli. You never move my favourite items about, like the place up the road does. So, I never end up buying anything I don’t need.
Hmm
No, thanks. I’ve just had a free one down the road at the supermarket. And I ended up buying some cheese, too. Right
FFD says: The tactics deployed by the bigger retailers can be harmful to you, but they’re not doing it with that intention. What’s more, your customers aren’t embracing them because they want to spite you. All food retailing – large or small – is about meeting consumers’ needs and driving footfall. There’s some proper theory behind what the multiples are doing, and evidence that it improves sales. Not every idea will be right for you but what’s stopping you from trying some of them out in your shop?
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... the
causes of spoilage
Raw materials, ingredients, intermediate products and finished products likely to support the reproduction of pathogenic micro-organisms or the formation of toxins are not to be kept at temperatures that might result in a risk to health.
The cold chain is not to be interrupted. However, limited periods outside temperature control are permitted, to accommodate the practicalities of handling during preparation, transport, storage, display and service of food, provided that it does not result in a risk to health.
Food may be spoiled by: • Decomposition – due to microorganisms, enzymes, moulds and yeasts • Pests • Chemical contamination • Oxidation – a chemical reaction involving
Limited periods outside temperature control are permitted […] provided that it does not result in a risk to health.
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
VHARI RUSSELL
FOUNDER OF THE FOOD MARKETING EXPERT
Resilient marketing means being able to recover quickly during tough times and and thriving in spite of challenges.
Nurture your current customers
It is cheaper to retain a customer than it is to find a new one. Your existing customers are far more likely to try new products and ideas and to spend more over time. Studies have shown that gaining new clients is five times more expensive than keeping existing ones engaged.
The benefits of ensuring you have a CRM strategy in place go without saying. Email flows created via your website and at checkout, a segmented database to send the right message at the right time to your customers, and tactics such as loyalty programmes or members clubs are all tools that can help retain customers and increase spend. knowledge you have gained from what didn’t work.
Ask questions like, ‘do we need to try other channels and segments of the market’, ‘are our products still as relevant to the target audience,’ ‘Should we spend more on social media versus other mediums’, ‘are we talking to our current customers enough’, and ‘do we have the right skills and knowledge to improve?’
Be flexible
Anticipating challenges is almost impossible, but there are some things we can do to be more resilient when they present themselves. Consider all aspects of your business to understand if you are prepared for dramatic changes.
Could a review of your marketing strategy reveal gaps or opportunities? What could you be doing differently, and who can help you to do it? Should you review your position, i.e. take a look at the marketplace and how it is changing to figure out where you fit best?
What actions can you take now to prepare for the future?
Things will always change. For the best chance at success, focus on what you can control and build resilience.
Find out how to sign up for The Food Marketing Experts’ Building Business Resilience webinars at
thefoodmarketingexperts.co.uk.
WHAT’S TRENDING
NICK BAINES KEEPS YOU UP TO DATE WITH THE NEWEST DISHES, FLAVOURS AND INNOVATIONS IN FOOD & DRINK
1 2
3
1 Sbagliato This riff on the negroni is getting a lot of attention right now, not least because the milder drink packs much less of a punch. Prosecco replaces gin in this cocktail, but it still strikes that quintessential balance of bitter and sweet. In the US, a Brooklyn brand capitalised on its rise and launched a bottled negroni sbagliato in less than two weeks. What prompted them to act so swiftly? Game of Thrones actor Emma D’Arcy went viral on TikTok claiming it was their favourite drink, clocking up some 40 million views.
2 Slow cookers Slow cookers are having a bit of a moment. Maybe it’s the rising energy costs, maybe it’s families tired with having to wash several pots and pans up. Either way, it serves a lot of purposes. Lately, budget supermarkets have had something of a price war to see who can knock them out the cheapest (Aldi, it turns out). Regardless of your financial situation, slow cookers are helping people cut down on food waste and reduce their carbon footprint. As we move into January, expect to see slow cooker recipes everywhere, from your glossy food mags to your favourite TikTok accounts.
3 Spam Waitrose recently reported a 35% rise in sales of spam. You might assume that’s down to the cost of living crisis, but the infamous canned meat product is not all war-era gloom: in Hawaii, spam musubi, a lunch item consisting of a thick slice of spam laid on top of sushi rice and wrapped in nori seaweek, is held in high esteem. The aforementioned supermarket also revealed online searches for its spam fritters with crushed peas and rose aioli (which sounds a bit more Waitrose) were up 82%.
guide to christmas presents
FINGER COVERS FOR CHEESE
Solves a problem for those who dislike cheese dust on their fingers. Never a problem for those who like Grate Britain Buttercrumb Biscuits, whether Cheddar, Stilton or Dorset Red, because the cheese is freshly grated and crumbled.
GOLDEN GIRLS’ SOCKS
Dorothy may be a favourite with her grey coif and polished red nails but the Charcoal, Buttermilk and Wheat Miller’s Damsels have a shine of their own.
A merry Christmas to all from the family.
CARBONATED FOOD BEVERAGES
Or better, a tasty bottle of red, white or rosé to drink with Miller’s Mondovino: crackers to partner wine. MINI-HAND SQUIRREL
But just make sure you are first to the Three Nuts, Three Fruits and Three Seeds of Miller’s Harvest.
TOAST-SHAPED NIGHT LAMP BABY NESSIE LOOSE LEAF TEA INFUSER
But Miller’s Toast is worth getting out of bed for.
Tea-time will only be more refined when accompanied by Miller’s Elegant & English allbutter biscuits for tea. Or should they now be re-named Suave & Scottish?
