The American Dream....Here we come !

Evening All,

On gloriously sunny days like we've had this week, it's great to be self employed. 

Today I knocked off early & popped into town where at 3 o'clock I was sitting outside The Bailey, with my friend Susan enjoying a nice crisp glass of white wine. I had worked solidly from 6.30 until then, but it still felt like a bold & decadent thing to do. Thankfully Susan had to drive later so we just had a glass & not a bottle.

You see one of the downsides to self employment can be the lack of time off, but in two weeks myself Mr Delicious & our four kids are doing a house swap with my cousin in NYC for 10 days. This will be our first holiday in three years and boy are we excited. Our tiny  house is currently undergoing a declutter of epic proportions. It's one thing to do a house swap with a stranger who you will never meet, but my cousin....well,  I'll be seeing him intermittently for the rest of my life, so he  doesn't need to see my domestic chaos.

Then there is work.

Myself & Mr Delicious  work about 100 hours per week & that has to be replaced. We have a wonderful team and am confident that our business will be in good hands, but  that won't stop me worrying. We are now busier than ever, we have just taken on a big six week contract...and I have yet to break the news to the client that it won't be me at the end of the phone 24/7. I feel guilty & angst ridden, but why work 100 hour week if we can't take ten days with our kids for the opportunity of a life time.

I think we've ticked all the boxes, crossed all the t's & dotted all the i's...but there is still the fear of those unaccounted days when we will be on the other side of the world, trying to forget about The Delicious Food Co. whilst scouring New York for new ideas for ..... The Delicious Food Co.

Does it ever end !

Shirley x

This Little Foodie's on Fire !

Evening All,

Oh yes it's been a funny old year so far.

In January I wrote a blog called "The Midas Touch (again)" about the possibilities that lay ahead of us for 2014. I referenced a time pre recession when everything I touched turned to gold, sale after sale rolling in. We got badly  hit by recession as our gorgeous sandwiches made on wonderful breads got replaced by mass produced wedges, that had travelled miles to get here & lasted forever, our corporate catering decimated by cut backs, our sandwich platter business ...forget it!

I felt in my bones that  those heady days of the Midas touch were about to return (again), I felt ready to conquer the world, spread our deliciousness everywhere. 

Boy was I wrong. 

No sooner had I hit the "publish" button on the blog , then a call came from  Mr Big  to say that his new kitchen was up & running." Hello new kitchen & muse"," bye, bye" Shirley.(although I did manage to save a bit of the business) The following week I got a call to say that one of my food service accounts had lost a large corporate client I supplied to, so that went too.

A change of personnel at a company for whom I did a phenomenal amount of work , meant that a business that had been a joy to service for two years, became angst ridden, messy &  lacking in  professional courtesy to us. So, I took the (brave/mad?) decision to terminate our services to them, and washed that angst right outta my hair.

I am now delighted to tell you that I am again back on a roll. I got eight new clients in May, who are all spending. I have secured a substantial piece of business from a college for a six week period starting in the next two weeks. The client said I'm a pain in the ass, but I know she was pleased as punch for me when she called with the great news.A client I pitched to to do all their catering for the next year has just booked us for today & tomorrow.....(does that mean I've got it....)

You all know that I sometimes find that this food gig, just wears me down, but something very strange happened to me on Sunday night. As I crept into bed where Mr Delicious was already sound asleep, I found myself for the first time in a very long time, deliciously excited about the week ahead and I am delighted to report  that thus far it hasn't disappointed.

Rock on !

Shirley

I'd Do Anything........

Evening all,

Things are very exciting here in the food industry amongst all us little guys aiming to be the next big thing.

 Lidl  & RTE are teaming up to produce a new TV programme "The Taste of Success". They are looking for  wannabe food entrepreneurs, existing local food producers, or anybody with a decent food idea & dream of turning Granny's blue cheese apple strudel into a national taste phenomenon, to apply.

 Now this ain't any old reality TV show...this is The Apprentice with sprinkles. Experts to guide & refine the product...marketing advice...good old fashioned expert mentoring which is the one thing we all want so badly.

Just think what the exposure would do for my business & that's not all.

The prize is a whopping 100k in cash, royalties,  a national listing with Lidl  & marketing campaign

If there is a foodie in Dublin who says they aren't interested I suspect they are lying.

I've never been one to want to draw attention to myself, although I have considered applying for Dragon's Den. I've even perfected my elevated pitch to the Dragons in my head as I've winded my way around town

delivering my salads & sandwiches in my little Ford van  

" Hi my name is Shirley & I'm looking for 100k for 5% of my business "The Delicious Food Co"

& as Gavin, Ramona, & Eamonn challenge my valuation I'd win them over, with confident assured answers...and they would argue that it's a tough market...but they believed in ME, were going to invest in ME..and the bidding war would begin, three Dragons at my mercy..

.Oooh yes!

This competition is a whole new level of exposure...as part of the application form they ask "what is the worst thing that ever happened to you? "( like I'm gonna tell a reality TV show that), but I'll think of something that works for both of us,I need an impressive application form, they suggest a video might be good, but definitely a photo with  the product.

So, I need to loose a few pounds so I look good on camera, I need a decent sob story that won't make my mother cry with the humiliation of it all. I already have the winning product. I've decided not to watch myself back in any of the episodes.

Yes this little foodie is aiming high, considering exposing all ..(again)  for our  wonderful
The Delicious Food Co...I'd do anything..

anything !

Shirley x