The run from Christmas to Easter is the most intense and erratic time of year. It’s when orders, demand, interests and opportunities are at their peak. After more than a decade in chocolate, I’ve come to appreciate the relationships built during this time more and more. Because fundamentally, the opportunity and demand are a sign of trust. When an on-line order hits my in-box more often than not it is for a gift. Often the person placing the order has had only minimal interaction with us and usually, the recipient of the gift will have no knowledge of Niko B. So, on two levels these transactions are about faith, pretty much blind faith. You trust us to deliver a memorable experience on your behalf. I take that responsibility serious and never, ever take it for granted.
Now that the we are on the otherside and in a position to reflect, it was by far our best on-line holiday period. With orders up 300% both is terms of orders and revenue.
So, for the first time we are sending out post hols thank you gifts. If you’ve ordered from our website between Mid-November and Easter you can expect to receive a little 'thank you' in your mailbox over the next two weeks. Look for it.
Anthony
Master Chocolatier/Founder Niko B.
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Trying to figure out how to put all of THAT into context. I'm good at making chocolates, baking and standing in the cold and wet with a smile of my face (well..maybe you've caught me on a bad day) but blogging...pfft.
Every...single...time. I sit down to write annnnnddd...there is ALWAYS something else I need to do 'first'. Bake brownies, whip up a ganache, toast some nuts, order some ingredients, call someone, make a sign, go to the print shop, pack a box, order packaging, pick up Nikolas, file my taxes, go for a walk, pay some bills, pay some more bills...eat. Time for bed.
But then there are those times when I just sit and stare at the computer trying to think of something 'clever' when I'm not feeling very 'clever'. So, I start..stop...stare...stare...and then....oh, need to order more of that too.
Yet, I know it’s important to keep you in the loop so to speak. It’s a crazy competitive world with so many chocolates being made by some really creative and talented Chocolatiers everywhere. You have lots of choices. That is why I'm ALWAYS honoured by repeat customers. Those who regularly visit our Stoke-Newington Farmers' market stall and those willing to navigate through my website (oh that needs work too) to re-order a fav or try a new one or even better, send them as gifts to friends and family. That is some serious trust. In fact, it’s really all about trust, isn't? A new, first-timer rolls up to our website and decides to trust that we will deliver an exceptional chocolate experience that will make the premium price seem right. These first time customers may not have had any direct contact with us, they may not have sampled our products or stood at one of our stalls or had our nougat at the venerable Crown & Castle in Orford. Maybe it was just a simple google search for say 'organic chocolates London' that was the first step. Somewhat surprising, but it does happen.
This trust isn't to be taken for granted, especially for a small producer like myself. Every order, no matter how big or small matters massively.
So..yeah 2015.
There were some wild swings through the year that have spilled over into the beginning of this year. The first half of the year was fairly stable...too stable actually. For a small business to grow and compete in this hyperactive environment things have to evolve, and be a bit manic. And that is exactly what the second half of the year was x 1000.
I spent the summer holidays with Nikolas back in the U.S. visiting my mom, sister and family in Michigan. August weather that was/is PERRRFECT..sunny, warm and at times flat out hot...but with freshwater lakes everywhere and BIG American cars with AC the heat was no problem (OK, OK..we didn't drive EVERYWHERE :) ). We got back to London re-energized which is essential to face the back half of the year and the run up to Christmas. The on-going challenge to turn this 'too small' small business into a viable business concern in one of the most expensive places in the world is daunting. However, it can and has been done. The next major step in this evolution came mid-September when I joined the Real Foods Market at Kings Cross (RFF @ KX).
At the time RFF @ KX was a 3 day/week market running from noon-7pm Wed-Fri. Day 1 started with my very first sale right at noon. I was stoked....then at EXACTLY 12:02 pm the first raindrops fell. By 12:30 I'd had my second sale of the day but the rains and winds had become torrential. After a couple of hours of rain blowing on my chocolates (not a good look) I shut it down and went home with 8.80 in sales. So bad that I laughed. What a start…Worst day ever! Day 2 was better..bright and sunny. In fact, it was too sunny...I was in the direct sunlight...melting chocolates (again, not a good look). But by October I'd moved to a better stall location, out of the direct sun and in the flow of foot-traffic. The weather for the month was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. Mild temps, hardly a drop of rain, perfect evenings...and we had our best sales month EVER..in OCTOBER. 3 x's 2015 sales and a bump in profit. It might’ve been the most expensive market in London but it was worth it. I'd added reliable staff and started to gain a few 'regulars'. Yes, things were looking positive heading into the critical Holiday season.
At the start of November, the market went to 4 days, Tues-Friday. 7 weeks to Christmas and things were looking up, up and up coming off that record-breaking October. Then the weather turned. It was still mild..but wet AND windy, very windy..day, after day, after day. It got so bad that the market shut for a week because of the gales. That was critical. My ‘main’ market in Stoke-Newington (Growing Communities Market - Saturdays) was also impacted by the weather. November was as bad as October was good.
So, entering the all-to-important month of December I had no idea what to expect. I’ve been in this sector for more than a decade but this time I heading into December in the dark. It’s always busy in December but that’s expected if you are retail. The question was just HOW busy would it be? Would it be October on steroids or a continuation of a disappointing November?
I added a third market in December, Primrose Hill. And KX was going to run 9 days straight from the 14th to the 23rd. That meant more staff, more packaging, more product, more transportation, more everything. Would the sales justify the costs?
Well, the weather was more of the same..mild, wet and windy. It was a real challenge getting through that month. Staffing 3 markets with unusual, for even London, weather.
So, the numbers…sales were up, a bit better than October. But costs, oh my goodness..the costs were through the roof. We did have a nice jump in online orders, but that wasn't enough to off-set the under-performing markets.
I was exhausted. I always fall over when I cross the finish line in December, but even more so this time. So, many moving parts..so many variables outside of my control. It’s exciting and exhilarating to be in the eye of the storm. But it is also exhausting.
So, as usual I took a couple of weeks to recover and prepare for the new year.
Then the really bad news came: King’s Cross had been shut ‘indefinitely’. Why? Well apparently someone complained that the market’s aesthetic did not fit that of the historic station. The complaint reached the right (or wrong) people and the market was shut. That was on 4 Jan. Ouch! There is no way to replace that kind of income potential overnight. None.
It has taken me pretty much the entire month to pick myself up. It’s part of being an entrepreneur. The unexpected becomes expected. You get knocked off course…but you persevere by taking the good with the bad and looking out for new opportunities that will inevitably come knocking.
What now? Well there is Valentines the holiday of amore and chocolate hearts galore, our next Chocolate Workshop (21 Feb), new accounts (TWO local jazz clubs have selected our chocolates recently for their restaurant menu (Jackdaw) and their Valentines weekend (Vortex), possibly a new chocolate tasting and discussion group…and of course, taxes…it’s time to do my taxes :)
See you soon!
Anthony
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However....it wouldn't be markets if not for their unpredictability. I mean, I sold out..S-O-L-D OUT of chocolates this weekend. It was one of our best non-holiday weekends of the year and that NEVER happens on a bank holiday weekend. And that is especially the case when there's rain....N-E-V-E-R happens!
First, there was Stokey. I love Stokey Market...I just do. The people are the coolest..they get food. They are curious and interested in how it’s made, where it’s made and who makes it. They are loyal. They appreciate the effort. Over the years, many have become friends and people I look forward to chatting with about family, travel plans and just life. So, it’s a pretty consistent market. I have a number of regulars who know exactly what they want and have been coming for their chocolate hit for years..but I've also noticed a number of newbies rolling into the market the last half year or so (which partly explains the banner Christmas to Easter holiday period we experienced). Now, the newbies are becoming the 'new' regulars.
Oh...I've strayed a bit...easy to do when I get on the subject of Stokey Market...so this Saturday started slow, but to my pleasant surprise it finished with a flourish. The slow start had me in a glum 'oh it’s a bank holiday weekend' mood. I set my expectations low...I always do on these weekends. British families go away...jet-setting off to the Riviera or some other exotic place for these 3-day weekends, right? I track my sales as the day progresses. I could see after the first hour and a half that it was probably going to be a typical bank holiday Saturday--ugh. I was thinking...man, I brought too much product. I made a layered chocolate cake for the first time in months. I had lots of Honey Nougat, quite a few of our newest creation - Brownie Bars ('three layers :brownie, salted caramel and crunchy toffee peanuts and cocoa nibs all coated in chocolate), truffles, two types of salted caramels, brownies, cranberry-ginger biscuits, Cognac Figs, vegan chocolates and on and on...
I was facing the likelihood of bringing tons of chocolates home with me...I know, I know..sounds great to YOU (and where that cake was concerned, my son too -- 7 year old Nikolas showed up at the market after his swimming lesson to make certain he got ANOTHER slice before it sold out)..but I'm trying to run a business here. Then...before you know it, I've got a steady stream of customers...one after another. Regulars and newbies from all over the WORLD -- a visitor from Italy, another from my home state of Michigan in the U.S. another from Camden....on and on. Soon after, the cake was done, finished, finito (sorry Nikolas :) ). Then the Chocolate-Banana loaf, then the brownies...then the Rum-Hazelnut salted caramels and the Masala Chai spiced truffles. Done and dusted. It was a good day...
So, I was feeling good yesterday morning (Sunday) as I prepared for Ally Pally market. It was raining when I left home...I didn't care. I wasn't carrying much product, I'd already far exceeded my sales expectations for the weekend...so I was just feeling good. I wasn’t concerned...just hoping to see a few of our new regulars (its taken a bit longer than expected, but now we've got regulars at Ally Pally too). I'd missed a few weeks at Ally Pally so it was time to make an appearance and catch up with a few people.
It was a light, persistent, typical British rain...with enough wind to be an annoyance. Humidity is bad news for chocolate..it coats the surface and causes sugar bloom (aka sticky chocolates) so I didn't put much out. I was actually just taking my time setting up. The market was already open and I'd only had one or two of the chocolates on display. Hey, no need to rush...its Sunday morning no one was coming THAT early to Ally Pally in the rain, right? WRONG...got my first customer..a new regular 10 mins in. She bought a "Harmony" (Jasmine Green tea & Orange) truffle. Really nice lady (I forget her name...I'm horrible with names). She comes to the market weekly and is always there early. She has an adult son that she is very fond of and she teaches violin (50 students she tells me..wow). We had a quick chat and caught up. I dropped a salted caramel in her bag...my way of saying 'Thank you' for being my first customer (its always a bit of a relief to break the seal on the day)...I appreciated her visit. The rain stuck around and the market was slow but not terribly so. By noon I was doing 'ok', even a bit better than usual. Then just after noon the rain/mist stopped..and suddenly -- there's sun..glorious, magical, life-bearing SUNshine!! I wanted to sing and dance...but I had work to do.
A steady-ish stream of 'new' regulars stopped by P-Nibby (Peanut Brittle with cocoa nibs) has some serious Ally Pally fans...it sells well there and that was the first to go. Then the Brownie Bars and Tiffin started to jump...salted caramel...truffles...Cognac Figs. Hell, by 1pm, with 2 hours to go, I started to get concerned that I might not have enough product to get to the finish line. Damn, I was selling...but now I'm short on product. When all was said and done...I was left with 2 truffles, 6 salted caramel, 2 brownie bars and a few tiffin and nougat. I'd had one of my best Ally Pally days of the year.
Bank Holiday Weekend...go figure
See you next weekend...
Anthony
]]>Ever wonder what its like to sell chocolates in an outdoor market. Well, here is the first installment of my, very personal story from the archives of my 4 years experience at sell in outdoor markets.
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I'm obsessed with the weather. Which seems to be true with most people around here..its an enduring part of Britishness..but if you work in an outdoor market the obsession goes to another level. AND if you sell chocolates in an outdoor market then you lose sleep over it.
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I pretty much start the obsession a week in advance. As soon as I get home after market and counting my sales...I log on and check the weather for the next weekend. Of course I know its wrong...
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Its always wrong. The forecast changes by the hour...right..up..to the day in question. But still..that's the point of obsession. I know its going to change but I check anyway. And I check multiple sources just to add to the confusion. So, I'll have the bbc, uk.weather, acuweather, etc. all telling we something different. Sometimes drastically different.
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Truthfully, this obsession is born out of the crazy idea of trying to sell a highly environmentally sensitive product in what must be top 5 for the world's most erratic weather. The weather here changes...all..the..time. 3..sometimes 4 seasons in a day...even in the span of a market. I've been selling at Growing Communities Stoke-Newington Farmers' Market since 2010 and as weather goes I've experienced it all. Rain..lots of rain. Wind..gale force winds (once had my solid metal frame stall flip completely over), Sun...sudden, intense sunbeams burning a whole through my income, snow...giant snow flakes slowly drifting down..to...the top of a nice, beautifully tempered dark chocolate---oh NO!
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Now, of course chocolate melts if it gets too warm...but it doesn't have to be THAT warm to be too warm. I've often been standing in a hat and jacket over multiple layers only to look over and have a beam of sun shine through a gap in the top of my stall directly onto an unsuspecting chocolate. And then right before my eyes...the chocolate begins to melt...yes, melt in.....March. Yes, MARCH.
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Then again, this is the British Isles...and sun is NOT the biggest threat to my chocolates. Its the monster combination of rain and wind. Chocolates do not like to be wet. All it takes in the lightest mist blowing onto our chocolates to start a sugar bloom. What is sugar bloom..its when chocolate comes in contact with moisture and the sugar pools on the surface of the chocolate (you might be familiar with this if you keep chocolate in the fridge. When you take your chocolate out to eat it, it will likely collect condensation on the surface and feel sticky as a result). This leaves a sticky film on the surface of the chocolate.
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But you know, at the end of the day..I actually enjoy the challenge that mother nature brings, the camaraderie that I share with the other market vendors and the dedicated individuals working for Growing Communities that are right there with me in the battle.
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It's the one 'holiday' that I get to celebrate without the massive pressures that come with every other major holiday throughout the year. When I first started in chocolate in 2003, I had no idea just how life transforming it is to be apart of a business that is so reliant upon holiday sales. I still remember launching my first chocolate business in September of 2003, 'just in time for the holidays' or so I thought. I had recipes, 32 truffle recipes to be exact and I built a website. My friends became friendlier, got a few new ones too. But, the expensive fancy packaging that I had custom designed and manufactured arrived on 20 DECEMBER....
Fortunately, that didn't really matter to the close friends and family that were my first customers. Nor did it really matter when I went out to sell at the numerous holiday events I was invited to attend. I had sales, I was making chocolates that someone deemed worthy of purchasing and not just for themselves, but for significant others too. Oh, man I was on my way....could almost taste it.
Then January happened. I remember that first January like it was yesterday. From the sky high buzz of December to the LOW, low, low, lows of January. The phone didn't ring...at all. I thought it would never ring again. What happened? Were the chocolates so bad that the word had already traveled to the far reaches? What an absolute downer...
A decade later and I've kind of got the hang of this. The holidays are absolute madness. The planning, the upfront investment, the subsequent cashflow crunch, the long days and long nights, the around the clock production, the smiling through the tiredness, the stress, the last minute 'needed it yesterday' rush of orders, the parties, the freezing cold, wet and windy festivals and markets...all of that and more. So, while everyone else is celebrating with good cheer, I'm chewing my nails. And Christmas is that x 1000. It's...pure...extreme... insanity. I'm convinced that people are just nuts in December. Wacked out, full on nutso.
Then the calendar changes, January comes round and poof, just like that, no one remembers my name. Everyone is busted and on a 'diet'...ha. Me, I start the clumsy climb down. The weeks of adrenaline, stress and sleeplessness start to lose their grip over me. I get a haircut, shave and start to look like a normal-ish human being. It takes a while to complete the reclamation project. But its just a quiet time of year....right up to St. Valentines.
I'm convinced that Valentines is on life support. No one wants to talk about it. Seems like most are not into it and young people are really NOT into it. I never know what or how much to make for Valentines. Since moving to London, I've come to realize that Mothers Day (Mothering Sunday) and Easter are much, much more relevant than St. Valentines. And that is ok by me. Just gives me a little more time and space for the personal reclamation project. But Valentines does bring a spark, a few more phone calls and a renewed sense of relevance.
We sell most of our chocolates direct at the Stoke-Newington (Sat) and Alexander Palace Farmers' (Sun) Markets So spring means I can put away the long underwear, gloves and multiple layers under my coat. It also means that people take their time in the markets. Families come, relax and enjoy the atmosphere. Its a good time to be in market and our sales reflect that. Its just around the corner, spring and with it our spring collection of new and old fresh, organic chocolates. Can't wait...
So, back to my birthday...let's celebrate. Shipping is free this week (within the UK) and the January diet is over so why not give us a try?
Blog you soon..
Anthony
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Back in 2012 we met often, toasted frequently, shared music, and of course delighted in all the wonderful decadence of chocolate in its many forms: caramels, nougats, truffles, brownies, cakes, mousses, ice creams and those oh so sinful cocktails. There were the frequent dessert pop-ups (Cocoa Club), there were the festivals (Chocolate Fest, Chocolate Week), the markets, there was American Pancakes on the table with what just had to be the world's best hot chocolate (at least that is what you told me) and there were the awards and recognition.
Then it all just......................................stopped.
August 2012
I returned to the States to visit family and renew my U.K. visa. It was 'supposed' to take weeks...it took months. 7 long months to be exact. First they said 'no'. It all just kind of fell apart. Some of you tried to keep in touch...I responded...sometimes. It was hard, really, really hard. I felt powerless. I couldn't visit my son... I was lost, sad, depressed. Time passed...my wonderful, loyal and talented Chocolate Lab staff (Amanda & Rachel) made the last Pancakes in October. It was shut.
Then we spoke to a solicitor and appealed...there was no one to call, it's all just anonymous emails. Months passed and then one day another email came and they said 'yes' -- I guess they realized that they'd got it wrong....so, so wrong.
April 2013
I returned to the U.K. last April..dazed, confused and bruised...still am.
Started back at the Stokey Market in May, survived the heat of last summer, the madness of Christmas and now the storminess of winter.
But it was the move back into the Stokey Market that began the long journey back. We talked, you seems really happy to see me and that made me feel good, really, really good. Simple as that. Those interactions were and are so, so important to me. You cared. You cared about our chocolates and you cared about me.
Its 2014...now what?
I don't know...really. There is this new website and address (someone bought my old domain name whilst I was marooned). But yet, the possibilities are endless...well at least as long as you ...and your friends...and their friends.. :) keep coming back for more, keep sharing your Niko B. experiences, keep coming around to chat about 'life'...and keep inspiring me.
Thank you for taking the time to read this...thank you.
Anthony Ferguson, Master Chocolatier and Founder - Niko B. Organic Chocolates
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