 Blinkin heck, just when you think things are falling into place something happens to make you fall flat on your face! Three weeks before celebrating my first year in business and on top of learning that Seriously Pickled is a Kapiti Top Shop 2021 Finalist (fantasically surprising news for my wee, still relatively new business, yay!), we are hit with a Level 4 Lockdown. Thanks Covid-19! Sitting here writing this I can not tell you how truly frustrating this period has been. After getting to the point of almost being able to predict the trade of a certain day and more importantly how many cheese scones to make, it is slightly irritating that we have to start all over again! Never before have I had to pivot and learn a few new tricks to navigate the way forward so abruptly. There are days when it feels like I am pivoting so much that I am going around in circles! There are days of loneliness when big decisions need to be made. There are sleepless nights because there is no money coming in and bills to pay. There are days of fear because I have never been here before… what exactly lies ahead in these uncharted waters. Who knows! Yet here I am…. my head is still just above water and I am lucky. I am a very small fish in a big pond. Goodness knows how the bigger fish cope when pickings are small. It’s stressful!! Don’t get me wrong it is not all doom and gloom. During those wakeful hours I have had to think about how we do things ‘contactlessly’. I have taught myself how to take my very basic website to have an e-commerce platform. There was (a bonus) stock take and uploading images of all of my wonderful suppliers products onto the website so that they fall into the ‘click and collect’ cache. The feedback has been great and to be honest it was time to do this. It’s a win win for everyone, right? Except for the fact that I then had to restock many and next minute … my reserves are gone and I’m asking for an extension on a plumbing bill. Eek!!! I have also needed to kick start the brain to think hard and fast about how I was going to reopen when my customers couldn’t enter the premises. Another pivot and all of a sudden I am cooking up a storm then sending out FaceBook notifications of offerings to be collected the next day…. I am not going to lie, it’s been a bit full on! The upside of this situation is this:
At the end of the day…. yesterday was the past and this difficult time will pass. Tomorrow is a new day and I can’t wait to see who walks through my front door! Kia Kaha x
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 It is quite hard to believe that the front door has been open for six months! It has been quite a whirlwind, that's for sure! I have learned so much in such a short period of time that when I stop and think about it, I find it completely overwhelming. Not only am I a shop owner, I am an employer, a supplier and a business tax payer! Has it been worth it... hang yes! Having said that, I am still able to recollect the abject fear of putting my food out there for instant reaction. Needless to say that it was all received well. My Cheese Scones are ranked as one of the best on the coast. You will always be able to find GF/DF/RFS treats in the cabinet. The daily salads are a hit as is the variety of house made nibbles items available for your Friday night drinks. While the catering business hums away in the background, the shop front adds colour to my day. It is so wonderful to see our new regular customers walk through the door... to you I say thank you! If you haven't visited the Deli yet, pop on down and say Hi. We would love to see you! x   2020 a year to remember for so many reasons!
It started with such good intentions, everyone was optimistic and looking forward..... until Covid-19 reared it's ugly head. Work dried up, events and celebrations were cancelled. All of a sudden we were sitting, twiddling our thumbs in lockdown. The diary was empty! It was fascinating to see how our local foodies coped with enforced down time. For some it was a living nightmare. For many, it was a well deserved rest. For others it was freedom to think about how they could turn this situation into an opportunity. It was so great to watch our local cafés and restaurants pivot and offer take away menu for collection (at a distance!). For me, it was time to support them while they navigated through uncertain times and change. I was cooking out of my Council registered home kitchen, my overheads were very very low compared to many, it was the right thing to do. What I did learn though, was that it was time for change. I walked out of Lockdown knowing two things... I need to make something to sell and I needed to get out of my home kitchen!! For years I have dreamed about owning a deli which sells my pickles and chutneys (hence the name Seriously Pickled) and my customer favourites Chicken Liver & Smoked Fish Pate. With my new found enthusiasm for getting out of the house, I put my big girl pants on, attended a business course and well, here I am!! Post Lockdown 2020, I am taking a risk. I am taking over a commercial kitchen with a little shop, where I will run my catering business and have a retail outlet, a Deli. It will showcase some of my favourite products found on our doorstep and it will be a great way to share them with you. Yes, it might be crazy but how boring the world would be without a little bit of crazy, hey?! Grand opening scheduled early September, 2020 Come and find me: 43 Seaview Road Paraparaumu Beach, 5032 |
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