SF-Confectionery-2020

21 TRENDS ...OUR BUSINESS We’re a soft fruit farmwith a shop, café and dairy. We’re ten minutes outside of Edinburgh and a ten- minute walk from the nearest bust route, so we really are a destination visit rather than a convenience stop. A lot of people come for the whole day; they have breakfast at the café maybe, and see the animals and the nature trail. People come to us for something they can’t find elsewhere, and definitely not in the supermarkets, so they’re not really buying on price. They don’t mind paying for quality. ...OUR CONFECTIONERY As soon as you come into the shop there’s a lovely artisan chocolate counter. It’s my favourite part of the shop! We have chocolates from the Isle of Aran, and House of Sarunds is another company we use; they’re Belgian chocolates. They’re delicious so that grabs quite a lot the kids. We don’t do much in the way of boiled sweeties, but we use Cocoabean on the Scottish Borders for the kids’ sweets flying saucers, strawberries and rosy apples. ...THIS CHRISTMAS We see the chocolate counter get hugely busy at Christmas – we offer nice boxes and pre-made bags. The gin, rum and other alcoholic chocolates come in so customers do really like that. We also use the Chocolate Tree in Edinburgh for chocolate bars you won’t find in the supermarket; it’s not the cheapest but it’s really good, and there are so many unusual flavours. It’s a chance for us to offer something really different. SHARON MCGILL, GENERAL MANAGER OF CRAIGIE’S FARM NEAR EDINBURGH of people’s attention. It’s absolutely not what our customers will find at the supermarket either. We try to be as local as possible with our stock. We use Ochil Fudge and find our older customers certainly like ginger fudge and tablet. Tablet does really well. Trendy fudge flavours like Irn Bru does well with ...OUR BUSINESS We’re right on the A35 over looking the sea, just over the border into Dorset. We’re actually in what used to be an old Esso petrol station. It was derelict for a few yers ‘til I opened up the shop. We’re a convenience store to our local customers, then there’s the holiday trade, and the passing trade: so, regulars, irregulars, and the holiday trade, though we’ve not seen so many international visitors this year. Basically I try to cater to everybody. ...OUR CONFECTIONERY In June to September we have a lot of clotted cream fudge, but locals don’t buy the fancy fudge with a picture of Durdle Door on! In terms of chocolate we try to go for organic or Fairtrade, and the higher cocoa content ones. It’s really nice if it can be vegan, especially these days. Palm oil is another one we avoid. We stock House of Dorchester chocolates because they’re local, just made up the road. Then we get in Chharbonnel & Walker at Christmas. People know we’ll have them, and that they’re going to spend quite a lot on them. Summerdown Mints are very popular too - they’re delicious and they’re only down the road in Hampshire. We deal with suppliers that we like and we know. ...OUR CUSTOMERS My customers are probably Waitrose types who pop in to me to get something for supper or to top up. It’s been a funny year, but people who pop in come expecting to buy something nice, and they’re not too bothered about what it costs. If they know the products come from somewhere local and it has a good history, less miles, they’re prepared to pay that bit extra. Otherwise they’d go to Lidl! FELICITY PERKIN, FOUNDER OF FELICITY’S FARMS SHOP, MORECOMBELAKE, DORSET specialityfoodmagazine.com