Pylewell Park Food and Drink Festival

The late afternoon sun was drifting hazily between the lazy July clouds as the pizza boys, Jesse wedged between like a rose between two thorns, chugged their way to the New Forest and the Pylewell Park Food Festival. Ed back at the helm as you will have notice from the exquisite prose and excellent metaphor, not to mention the witty quips yet to come.   


We followed the sat nav which did an excellent job in delivering us to the post code, a large country house and hustle and bustle of a festival rising from the estate paddocks nowhere to be seen. Wrong postcode. Ryan's handwriting parallels the oldest and most uninterested General Practitioner in the land. With the only tools to hand, namely a smart phone, Jesse had us pointing in the general direction and soon we picked up the scent, a clearly marked AA road sign guiding us home. This was an encouraging start, the event being a first timer and we were once again unsure of how busy we would be, but the warm familiar burnt orange of the AA sign calmed us.  We thundered up the tradesman's entrance with the enthusiasm of a teenager in his first Renault 5 (showing my age - not sure what the kids drive these day!?) This was going to be a good one!

Setting up - dominating other stands!

Set up was good. We looked professional, felt professional and were gearing up for a big day, when fellow traders got wind of a visit from the Environment Officers. The rumor was true and we watched the Officer work his way round the other stalls like a 1950's bad ass headmaster, glancing nervously as we prepped. we had nowt to worry about.  We're ligit- he was impressed with our up to date records, hygiene certificates produced on demand and Ryan's belligerent use of our HACCAP's and safe systems of work. I didn't even know we had that stuff - nice one bruv!

Dough making into the night

Trading went well, sold out both days which was actually a bit frustrating. Good to get the kudos of selling out, word spreads fast, but annoying that we let some customers down and more importantly missed the chance of making some money at last! We ran out of mushrooms and basil and had to buy some more from other traders at the event; always good to put trade past the traders I suppose! 

                                           

The festival from behind!

The weekend ended with a cracking pint of somerset cider at the Crown and Anchor in Dell Quay. http://www.crownandanchorchichester.com/history.html We watched the sun go down and talked through the highs and lows of the weekend. You should too if you are ever down this way. Lovely little spot.

Sorry about the quality of the photos - dodgy blackberry camera as I forgot my good one. 


We are looking for bookings in October now if you fancy hosting a cheeky autumnal wedding, party or bar mitzvah!? 


Much love


Ed x

Cosham Food Festival

A spotty teenage Business Studies student can tell you that in order to be successful you need to get the 'four Ps' of marketing right. Product, excellent pizza, check. Price, with the introduction of a mini margherita, check. Promotion, big wood fired oven and free tasters, check. Place, Cosham Food Festival, epic fail. The student looks on smugly as he goes about being another one of the masses who can talk good business, but doesn't have the 'huevos' to go and do it.


In fairness we need to be getting out to any event that will have us, and on paper it didn't look too bad. A food festival, close to home and a modest stall fee. The writing was on the wall though as we rocked into Cosham in the big red van. Pound Stretcher, Bingo hall, pawn shop were predominant on the high street. Bacon and bean slice from Greg's, yum yum. Freshly made wood fired pizza made with love and fresh ingredients, not so much. Now a well oiled unit we are beating other stall holders in setting up which gives me a huge amount of satisfaction. Growing up with three brothers has over inflated my competitiveness somewhat, but it's no mean feat setting up a working kitchen complete with wood fired oven in less time than it takes someone to put up a flimsy gazebo and enough trinkets to make a stallholder in the souks of Marrakesh jealous. 


The lunch rush was brief. We sold some pizza, but not a lot. Got some great feedback, nver getting bored of it - we need to turn fantastic comments in to hard dollar. I shouldn't be so harsh, we gave out quite a few business cards and made some good contacts with other stall holders and event organizers. If we keep making a consistent and quality product the sales will come. James made his first appearance of the summer as front of house and con-seeded that he prefers to sell to people who ring you up everyday to place an order. It's hard graft on the streets and we all now have a gnats toe of more respect for the idiots on the apprentice.