Do you go to food festivals and markets?
We've tried them all. Big arenas, street markets, open field festivals...
Events are a great way for us to meet YOU!
They're a valuable source of direct feedback and they also help us compare our products to others, collect first hand reactions, keep up with current food trends and build rapport and relationships not only with you, but also with other traders.
In general, we're a hardy bunch. We enjoy a good show, and moan endlessly about a bad one. The events themselves can vary so much in their success, for individual traders and the public alike.
So why do we spend so much effort and time doing events? Why travel the length and breadth of the country, spending hours on end on the road? Why put up with dodgy hotels, gridlocked roads, and the event nutters? (Yes, every event seems to attract at least one).
Well, personally I enjoy almost everything about the events. It's great to be able to spend every weekend in a different county, city or town. I've been to places I'd never thought I'd end up. Okay, I actually get to see that much while I'm there but it's enough for me to catch a snapshot of life in different parts of the country.
I think I'm an easy going kind of person and I've made many friends among the traders. Some are casual friends I only see at certain events, but on a regular basis, whilst others have become ones I spend time with outside of work. We banter, we moan, we compare notes. But we all know we're in the same boat and secretly enjoy the lifestyle.
I also enjoy meeting you, whether for a quick chat or simply to exchange a gag or two. For me, it's not only about making a sale. It's about connection too. Sometimes, I like to imagine what your life is like and how you ended up in a field in the pouring rain, walking around looking at miserable traders watching their stock getting soaked.
Sometimes I imagine what your dogs are like at home and whether they're always as chill as they appear to be when gliding past some yapping Dachshunds, not even glancing across to acknowledge them.
But the ultimate thrill is seeing your reaction when you take a little Satay sauce on a wooden stick and pop it into your mouth. Your eyes widen, mouth falls open, disbelief dawns ... followed by 'Oh my God, that's amazing!'