SHOP TALK IF I’D KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW... RACHNA DHEER,owner and founder, Starter Culture, Shawlands, Glasgow Ten years ago I opened Babu Bombay Street Kitchen, introducing authentic Bombay street food to Glasgow. In search of good cheese, I was constantly having to travel to the West End, as there were no options in the South Side where I live. That was how Starter Culture came about. In 2018, I found premises and, after a costly and lengthy transformation, the shop opened its doors in September 2019. Covid hit a few months later, so this has been our first year of operating without any restrictions. Interestingly, the pandemic had a positive impact on the business. When people weren’t able to go out, artisan cheese and wine became their treat and we were able to meet that demand by being agile. In many ways it’s a more challenging environment now. Our suppliers are increasing their prices and consumers are sticking with their money while no longer relying as heavily on their local suburban shops. Our strategy for dealing with these price increases is to offer some products at a cheaper rate – products that people specifically come in for – and give them guidance on our artisan offering while they are there. You can’t put the prices up on everything. In this climate, you’ve got to think outside of the box. We are launching monthly tasting nights, starting with a craft cider & artisan cheese evening. Tickets are £40, which includes five craft ciders and five artisan cheeses as well as a 10% discount on any products purchased. We are also introducing picnic boxes (priced at £15) this summer, which we can deliver to the park. You can’t afford to wait for customers to come to you; you have to think of ways of getting out to them. Festivals are another great opportunity and a one-hit cash injection. We will be at the Fringe this year with our grilled cheese sandwiches. Consumers have so much choice available to them, it is important to also offer something different. Minger cheese is always a talking point due to its pungent aroma and the name itself, as is our single cask malt whisky. From my street food business background, working at the markets, I know a lot of microproducers. We work with them directly rather than sourcing products via wholesalers. Dealing directly with suppliers is time-consuming but worth the effort. My street food business taught me that quality is paramount, even if that means travelling to London to source ingredients. Quality has been a differentiator before, and I am confident it can be again. Interview Lynda Searby Photography Colin Mearns
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July 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 6
