Fredericks Family at Farmers Market

This was the one time I didn't look forward to the Farmer's Market. I was still getting over being sick and not eating well, didn't have the enthusiasm to bake, but with Alec's encouragement I did anyways. The forecast was sunny, highs in the upper 60's which boded well for the farmers market.
This was the first time I managed the booth alone but with Alec and Laura orbiting about. Although it was sunny, there was just a moderate attendance. It was the first time Alec worked the booth - cutting samples, boxing cupcakes, and talking sweet to the kiddies.
Laura did well too. Like a good girl, she sat on her blankie, eating cheerios, while we set up. She ran up and down the hill five times, according to Daddy. She flirted with customers, more like, she just looked at them while they flirted with her.
All and all the Fredericks Family held down the fort quite well.
The best improvement to the workflow business was getting new small boxes for the minis.

Cold Sunday Matches Best Thursday

I cranked out 600 cupcakes in 13 hours - 3 hours: frostings, 5 hours: baking, 5 hours: decorating - lots of room for efficiency. I settled on five flavors: vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, lemon, plus a new flavor mint chocolate - I thought the light green mint frosting would be a nice addition to the array of frosting colors.
We were determined to have our booth set up by 8am. Alec, Laura, and I were out by 7:07 am - a record early start. It registered 29 degrees on the car thermometer. I'm quickly learning that the weather is a major determinant of customer traffic at the farmers market. We arrive at the farmers market around 7:30 am. We were placed in Bakery Row as promised. I was the last bakery vendor on Bakery Row, situated between the crumpet guy and wooden sculptors artist.

This was the first farmers market where I would be manning the booth alone, at least up until my brother, Randy and my sister-in-law Ellie arrive at 10am. My biggest fear was that a hoard of customers would demand their cupcakes "now!" and I would not be able to work fast enough. Fortunately, business was slow up until Randy and Ellie arrived. At around 11am, there was a steady flow of cupcake samplers and buyers. Randy and Ellie eased into their duties easily and comfortably. Ellie being the natural salesperson - friendly, bubbly, and quickly coming up with catch phrases for reluctant customers, such as "new year's resolutions were made to be broken" and "Get a mini cupcake! It's all about portion control, right?". Even Randy got into the spirit by yelling out "free cupcake samples, help yourself!", making Ellie and I giggle. Randy assisted in every step of the way: folding boxes, adding up totals, taking money, giving change, and pointing out when the sample tray needed replenishing.
Overall, it was a slow Sunday at the farmers market. There wasn't the usual crowds. It felt like a good Thursday. The reception was as always warm and enthusiastic. I got the usual wow's and mmmmm's and I'm never tired of hearing it. It's what keeps me going through the next series of late night baking at the kitchen.

Lessons learned:
1) pre-cut more samples so that I don't have to cut them on the spot losing face time with the customer
2) stick to the core flavors until I build customer loyalty
3) find smaller boxes to accommodate the most popular order: 6 minis
4) make fewer regular sizes and more minis

Farmers Market Sunday: Careful What You Wish For

After three weeks of doing Farmers Market on Thursdays, the Sunday Farmers Market manager asked me if I'd like to do Sundays. The coveted Sunday, the day my family and every other family in Marin county shops at the farmers market - they have jumpies of all sizes, pony rides, kettlecorn smoke and live music fill the air, the aisles so densely populated, you have to fight your way through. It's the big leagues. I would be stupid not to accept. Grinning inside and resisting the urge to jump up "YES!", I told him I'd think about it.

I originally only wanted to do Sunday Farmers Market when I applied, but they rejected me saying there were no openings. The true story was that another cupcake company had applied and gotten accepted before me. Three months later the farmers market still hadn't heard back from them.

After an evening of sporadic discussion with Alec, while he played with Laura during dinnertime, we both concluded that Sundays would be ideal for business and practical for our schedules. We now have built in daycare(Alec) for Laura. We'd still have Laura in daycare during the week, so I can work in the kitchen. Alec doesn't lose time from his job to help me set up and break down. Unfortunately, it means family time is stunted but at least Alec and Laura can come visit me during the FM. (And perhaps, I can put Laura to work, giving out samples. - not that there's a problem with people taking samples, but wouldn't it be cute?)

My last FM Thursday will be next week Christmas eve. I'll start doing Sundays the first Sunday of 2009. What a way for Little Piggy Cupcakes to start the new year.

I have yet to get a pre-order. It's the bulk orders that will sustain and grow my business. There's no doubt I've made a superb product. All my customers at the farmers market love the cupcakes. Even those who scoff at the price, still think they're delicious.

The next phase for Little Piggy is to show customers that cupcakes are not just a whim purchase, a moment of pleasure to be eaten on the spot, the end. Little Piggy can be taken home as a litter to share with family and friends for a special occasion. Why settle for shortening-based supermarket cupcakes or waste your time baking your own, when you can have these little princesses?

Farmers Market Warmly Welcomes Cupcakes

The Farmers Market opens at 8am. We got there at 8:10am. I thought, a late start is not good for a first day. My ever supportive Aunt Kathy stayed up with me until 4am that morning decorating - spreading frosting, adding sprinkles to 600 cupcakes. Both of us had gotten an hour or two of sleep. Surprisingly I wasn't too tired - I think I was running on on a mixture of nervousness, excitement, and let's just get this over with.

It was a chilly morning. Cold weather equated to a slow day at the FM. By the time the whole gang of us - my aunt, Alec, even Laura, and I arrived, some vendors were still setting up, so I wasn't too late. Even before we got our tent and table up, a lady was eying my boxes and discovered I was selling cupcakes. She turned out to be another vendor and asking if she could buy one. I thought, this is a good omen. (I realized that after starting a business I've become more superstitious, looking for signs of good fortune.)

It took us an hour before we were settled in - cupcakes displayed in their domed trays resting on a table lined with cupcake print fabric, samples cut up, take-out boxes folded, cashbox ready to receive money, my aunt and I wearing our Little Piggy Cupcakes white aprons.

There was a steady stream of interested customers - eating samples, surveying the array of cupcakes, buying cupcakes for themselves to eat on the spot and take home. Everyone asked how long we had been at the Farmers Market and where we were located - "this is our first day" and "we're located right here at the Farmers Market". Kids were drawn to the cupcakes, pointed, and called out "Cupcakes!". Women smiled and clasped their hands in giddiness - immediately debating which one and how many.

The FM gave me what I yearned for - the personal connection, seeing child-like delight and happiness that my cupcakes gave to people. For some reason, up to this point, I didn't really believe people loved my cupcakes. But now I'm a witness to total strangers, tasting them and paying good money for them. They would say "yummy!", "OH MY GOD!", or "oooh, that's good.".

The minis were the highlight. "adorable", "cute", "beautiful" they would say. Women bought multiple minis so they can have a variety and also to share with their friends. Mommies bought minis for their kids and themselves. Men were almost insulted when asked if they wanted a mini or regular size cupcake "Regular" (of course.)

We started with 29 boxes of cupcakes and left with 16 boxes. I had made double the number of cupcakes than were needed. Better enough than not enough. We made enough money to cover the cost of making cupcakes, pay for Laura's day of daycare, and had some money left over. Admittedly, the leftover wasn't much. My vendor neighbor selling jewelry summed it up positively - "Considering the slow economy, you had a nice crowd around your table. That's pretty good". And darn good for a first day.

Farmer's Market - The Dream I Didn't Know I Had

Since my last post, a lot has happened:

- renamed my company, Little Piggy Bakery, designed a logo with my husband, Alec. And a few days ago, he suggested I rename it again to Little Piggy Cupcakes
- acquired one regular loyal client, Playdate Cafe in San Anselmo, to which I deliver 2 1/2 dozen mini cupcakes - 5 different flavors, twice a week.
- gained another client and lost them in one week because the cupcakes were not selling
- provided samples to half a dozen cafes, all of which have not shown any interest
- developed 2 tea flavored cupcakes (chai and green tea), especially for a tea shop in San Anselmo, which has yet to place an order
- did custom design cupcakes for a dozen kids birthday parties - fun, but time consuming, business is very sporatic

I never wanted to open my own bake shop - the headache of maintaining a physical space, staffing, etc... This is why my original plan was to do wholesale baking and sell to cafes. Unfortunately, most cafes were not interested in cupcakes. I had to come up with another market.

I didn't seriously consider the Farmers Market until my neighbor who's a caterer, suggested it to me a couple weeks ago. The San Rafael Civic Center Farmers Market, the one we go to every Sunday, happens to be the largest in California. The Farmers Market would be an ideal venue - it had the volume of customers and they have money.

The same day my neighbor suggested I try the FM, I called their main office. I spoke to Tyler who said the Civic Center FM is full, that I may have to try the ones in Hayward or Newark, "unless your cupcakes are to-die-for". He added that another cupcake business had already applied a week ago. I immediately assumed that the other cupcake company had already been accepted. But Tyler encouraged me to send an application in anyways, which made me think I still had a chance against the other cupcake company.

I spent the next two nights and several hours writing, revising my application - the main questions being - how is my product unique and what is my history/background as related to my product. I personally submitted my application on a Friday and by Wed the following week I received a voicemail asking me to drop off samples. I squealed and clapped with excitement - this was my big break! Once they try my cupcakes, well, the taste will speak for themselves.

I baked the same night and the following day, dropped off the samples on Friday morning. I felt very good about them - they were sampled and resampled, approved by Alec and even my brother Randy. They were very cleanly decorated as well.

All day Friday I kept my cell phone close to me hoping they would call, but they didn't.

By the time Monday arrives, I've sort of let go of waiting for the FM to call me, but I figured they'd call by this week. I take Laura out in the stroller for our usual mid-morning stroller outing. For some reason, I forget my cell phone. By the time we head home, Laura has fallen asleep in the stroller and I carefully roll her into her bedroom. I check my phone and there is a red light flashing indicating that I have a voicemail. I open the phone and it displays a number which I vaguely recognize, but I'm pretty sure it's Playdate Cafe.

It isn't. It's Tyler from FM asking me to call him, not saying why. I immediately call back and luckily Tyler is available to talk to me. And as if it was scripted by my own fantasy, Tyler said that everyone "loved" my cupcakes and that I had beat out two other cupcake submissions and they've accepted me for the Thurs Civic Center FM. I wanted to cheer, cry, laugh, hug someone, but all I can say was "oh my god" and "thank you so much" softly because Laura was sleeping.

The FM venue can not be more ideal. I get to see my customers face to face and see the joy that my cupcakes will bring to people. I get the community feel of having a bake shop but not have to deal with the physical upkeep of the space. It's no frills - people will come if they love my product. I get to sell my product for retail price - no middle person. I see my product through from inception to delivery. I believe in the farmers market, I've been a patron almost my entire adult life.

Now comes the hard work - designing my vendor space, getting the business/health permits, renting a commercial kitchen, facing the customer and finding out whether the world is truly ready for Little Piggy Cupcakes.

After Eleven Trials...Caramel Apple Pecan Cupcake

This was the hardest recipe to come up with to date. But I finally have it. I can legitimately say this is a Tina original recipe - not a slight tweak of someone else's recipe.
Caramel Apple Pecan Cupcake - a vanilla cupcake with dried apples, drizzled with caramel sauce on the cake, frosted with cream cheese frosting, and sprinkled with meaty pecan pieces.
Lesson #1: Granny Smith apples do not shine through unless it's in small pieces (diced, shredded, or grated.)
Lesson #2: Some spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice will get stronger with time (after being baked). Use half or less nutmeg to cinnamon.
Lesson #3: Using fresh apples in the cake will make the cake wetter, you may have to paddle the batter longer to build the cake structure to compensate.
Lesson #4: If you don't have Granny Smith, use Gala apples. Don't use Braeburn apples - makes the cake too soggy. Gala will break down easier when baked, so expect a wetter cake.
Lesson #5: If you want to control the flavor of the spices, don't use spices at all in the cake or frosting unless you like that pumpkin bread type taste.
Lesson #6: If you like the quick bread texture, use a traditional apple cake recipe. If you like a less wet, but moist, more crumbly type cake, more "cupcake- like", use a traditional vanilla cupcake recipe and mix in diced dried apples.

Laura's First Birthday

No way was I going to buy a birthday cake for my daughter's first birthday party. It had to be special. It's a good and a bad thing knowing how to do complex cakes. At first Alec and I were going to do a tiered cake with gum paste lotus blossoms floating on piping gel water cascading down the tiers. Then we got real, plus we wanted Laura to identify with the cake. So we chose the theme of Patrick Starfish (of SpongeBob Squarepants). We have a large stuffed animal Patrick Starfish, which Laura kisses and sticks her finger into his belly button.
We decided to do square-shaped cupcakes that forms a mosaic of Patrick Starfish. I saw a similar idea with cupcakes in the image of SpongeBob.
The entire process spanned three weeks - cake recipe experimentation, frosting recipe experimentation, frosting color testing, decorating test run, final batch of cupcakes/frosting, and assembly.
Even with both Alec and I working, the evening of the assembly took two and half hours: 9-11:30pm. Alec got to experience what I go through on "assembly evenings" - lack of focus, deterioration of design standards. In the morning, I put finishing touches and decorated additional cupcakes to fill in the gaps in the mosaic. I also decorated a personalized cupcake for Laura - white vanilla frosting, with white jimmies border, a modified star fondant cut-out for Patrick Starfish, with pink "Laura" inscription.
I learned that the "cupcake mosaic" takes at least double the time of a standard order, so I wouldn't do it again unless the price was right.
Of course, it was all worth it for our little girl. It came time to put out the cupcakes at the birthday party. We placed a yellow candle in Laura's cupcake and lit it. Alec and I held her between us, everyone sang the birthday song, and we blew out the candle together. Laura didn't know what the heck was going on. But she did enjoy the first few bites of a darn good cupcake made with love.