Sorry I haven’t posted in a long time. I have been busy
starting my GCSE work and have not had a spare moment to write this blog post. This
post although in my case is linked to baking, is not all about food and all so
if you have any friends interested in business or markets, I would appreciate
it if you show them this blog.
At the beginning of September just as summer was beginning to
end I took part in something called the teenage market. This is market designed
for only teens to take part in. anything could be sold from food to jewellery
to postcards. The market itself provides every teenager taking part with a
stall free of charge and also has performers to sing, dance or play an
instrument at the event.
Being a baker, I thought instantly this would be a great way
to showcase my cakes and biscuits. However it wasn’t as easy as, bake, sell,
done. I needed to think about everything you would ever possibly see at a stall
for starters. First I had to plan the layout of my stall. For this alone I needed
boxes, tablecloths, plates and labelling. The next part in my opinion was more
fun. I had to work out all the ingredients I needed and then work out a price. I
then needed to work out other pricing including a banner. Once finding the
overall cost I needed to notify my dad so that I could pay this off later.
Next came the good part: THE BAKING. I ended up making five
of my favourite and most successful bakes. These were:
- · Chewy chocolate chip cookies
- · Sugar shortbreads
- · Chewy chocolate krispie squares
- · Red velvet cookies
- · And iced cupcakes
I also had an extra item on my menu. Though not intentional,
the mistake cakes were also a great success. After being in the kitchen for so
long the previous afternoon I unsurprisingly, lost a small amount of
concentration. I therefore used the wrong flour in my “mistake cakes.” They were
therefore denser than expected so I had to sell them for half the price. However,
they still sold well.
On the day of the event, I boxed everything up. The weather
was working in my favour as it was not raining, although it meant the krispie
treats were starting to melt. I had to arrive at the stall to set up almost 2
hours before the market opened and I only just opened on time. Although an unusually
quiet day for the teenage market, I still sold well and met costs with a profit
of over 100% what I had spent.
10% of the money I made, which added up to a fair amount,
went to a charity, my family and I support called Lottie’s kitchen. (This is
mentioned in an earlier blog post if you want to read more.) The left over
money went partly to my dad (for paying for all the ingredients) and the rest
was for me to keep. It was amazing to see how market stalls work from behind
the scenes, and I was glad that I made a profit as at the beginning I wasn’t so
sure.
My next event with the Teenage market is on Sunday the 2nd
of September in Chipping Barnet. (https://theteenagemarket.co.uk/events/
- look here for more info.) I will be baking similar treats as these were a
great success, however might also have a few Christmas surprises as well.
Thank you for reading this blog post on my unforgettable
experience at the teenage market and if you have any questions regarding this,
please do not hesitate to comment below.
Many thanks
Lottie X
Instagram-Eat.Teen
