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Speciality Bites from Paul Hargreaves of Cotswold Fayre

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Company Culture

Company Culture

Posted: 26/01/2012

company-culture1

I have been thinking this week about Company Culture. I am pleased with the atmosphere and commitment we have at Cotswold Fayre and it has always been my aim to create a culture that is fun to work in rather than simply to make money (and just as well as the latter hasn’t always happened!).

I started to read Richard Branson’s new book over Christmas “Screw Business as Usual” - normal gentle title from him. The main thrust is that those companies that do good and have fun will be the ones that make money. I have always believed in this. Cotswold Fayre was borne out of supporting my own charitable work in South-East London, employed ex-druggies and alkies in its early days and more recently has thoroughly engaged in supporting and working with the Bala Orphanage in Kenya. Whilst we work hard we also have a good laugh whilst we are doing it most of the time with the result that people like working here and our churn is very low. It works and as time goes on and we make more profit we will be more and more engaged in giving it away. I look forward to it! (more…)

CALIFORNIAN DREAM

CALIFORNIAN DREAM

Posted: 19/01/2012

california-dream

I am writing this just at the end of my trip to the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco.  Off to the airport in an hour. My reflections at this point are as much about the lifestyle here as the Fancy Food Show and staying with my brother (who lives here) allowed me to get inside the culture a bit more than merely staying in a hotel.  Incidentally I had a rather bizarre last evening at a quirky comedy gig in Mill Valley, with various stand-up comedians performing  - I had to get some of the jokes translated and Robin Williams was in the tiny audience.  Apparently he sometimes wanders up onto stage and performs ‘off the cuff’.

As with any society it is very polarised between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ and my impression is that the ‘haves’ have a lot more here than they do in the UK.  That said there is a veritable glut of independent food shops here selling high quality products at much higher prices than the UK.  It seems that people here, being far more health conscious, are spending more of their money on what goes into their mouths. (more…)

HAPPY NEW YEAR HERE’S TO 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR HERE’S TO 2012

Posted: 06/01/2012

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Happy New Year.  A lot to tell you about, so better get going!  What a year 2011 was; I think many of us will be pleased to see the back of it, to be honest.  As I have said here before, it seemed like we were running to stand still for much of the time.  However, we finished the year up 16.5% which was a lot lower than our target, but people tell me we should be happy with that - although generally “people” have lower expectations than me!

One thing is sure, I have never been so tired at Christmas than I was this year - nor have my team!  To get the job done they showed an amazing level of commitment and were often in the office past 7,8 or even 9pm.  A big thanks to them, and it reminds me what a great group of people I have got around me. That’s enough back-slapping!  What I really needed was a break, so booked to go away without the kids for New Year’s weekend.  Unfortunately rushed as we were didn’t check trip advisor before we booked and managed to book what must be one of the worst hotels in England. (more…)

Local Shopping in the news

 

As I write this Mary Portas has just announced her plans for regenerating the high street in Great Britain via a 50 page report, which, I hasten to add, I haven’t read!   She acknowledges that the “high street” is at crisis point with shoppers deserting the hub of their community for the out of town retail park.  It is the growth of the latter that has resulted in many of our high street shops closing,leaving hoardings where shop windows should be, which further decreases the attractiveness of the high street to consumers. A vicious circle!
 
However, it does appear that in some parts of the country independent high street retailers are thriving.  I hope so as we supply these as part of our core customer base as well as the “out of town” farm shops and garden centres.  Look at the success of Christmas markets which have regenerated some town centres at this time of year.  And in my home town of Cirencester, (more…)

Local Shopping in the news

All Work, No Play…?

all-work

All Work, No Play….?

Well it is certainly that time of year for us – we have just had our busiest 8 weeks of the year and everything should start to return to sanity soon, just as the retailers start to have their manic time of year. I have been so busy this is my first blog of November, well that will never do, will it?! Or did I hear you breathing a sigh of relief!

The speciality food world is, I think, undergoing something of a transformation at present with a certain degree of re-positioning going on. There is certainly a more hard-nosed approach being taken by certain players, one of whom is telling some of our existing suppliers that they will only continue to sell their products if they stop supplying us. Of course, that isn’t going down too well at all, with the suppliers or us. There is a fine dividing line here. (more…)

All Work, No Play…?

COMPETITION - GOOD OR BAD?

competition

Last weekend I went to Jersey at the invitation of one of our suppliers, La Mare Wine Estate, who make the most fantastic product, Jersey Black Butter, as well as making their own wine and distilling their own brandy! Quite an operation!

Whilst there I took the opportunity of visiting a few customers and a few places that hopefully will be customers. Despite Jersey’s reputation for affluence there was a bit of a feeling of doom and gloom there although it didn’t take long to work out why. Waitrose is relatively new to the island and farm shops and delis were definitely taking a while to get used to their new competitor. Of course, on the mainland, we have been used to this for a while, and I am sure in a short time these places will come fighting back. But they have had things their own way for a while and are currently in the process of re-adjusting. (more…)

COMPETITION - GOOD OR BAD?

TO ANUGA AND BEYOND…

anuga

This time last week I was at what is known as the biggest food show in the world – and certainly if the number of visitors was anything to go by it seemed to live up to its billing. I have never been in a football crowd type jam to get into a food show, and this on a Sunday morning. There were even ticket touts outside the door!

In previous years I have baulked at the idea of a second trip in a year to Cologne (always going to ISM in January) as it is generally an uninspiring and exploitative place, with hotel rates being quadruple the normal simply to fleece those attending the show. However, this year I felt I should go and wasn’t disappointed. I had useful meetings with a number of existing suppliers it was a good use of time, but not only that seeing the innovation in the food sector throughout the world at one event was inspiring. (more…)

TO ANUGA AND BEYOND…

CURRENT TRENDS IN CONFECTIONERY

confectionery

Since my first foray into the confectionery market ten years ago, the sector has changed remarkably, particularly in the UK. There is a huge variety of both sweet and chocolate brands and the market has increased in sophistication beyond belief. The number of artisan chocolate brands, for example in the south of England has gone from one or two to more than ten within the last 10 years. From a country that used to import most of its chocolate products this is encouraging. When I was a kid it had to be Swiss or Belgian chocolate, now it is almost more special to buy a loved one chocolates from the UK.

I remember well my first visit to ISM in Cologne and being amazed at the variety of confectionery on offer from Europe, whilst virtually the only busy stand on the UK Pavilion was one selling bras and knickers made of refreshers! (more…)

CURRENT TRENDS IN CONFECTIONERY

CF Supplier Conference

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This week’s blog is one of the easiest to write as some of my suppliers have written it for me. Simply put, it seems that Cotswold Fayre’s inaugural supplier conference was an event unique to the speciality food sector. Never before have over 100 speciality food and drink brand owners and producers been together in a conference before. Sure there are plenty of trade shows and the like, but these do not engage people together like the event last week.


There were presentations from suppliers, Cotswold Fayre managers and sales team and a customer. The theme of the event was “Working in Partnership for Mutual Growth”. So it is true, despite what Fine Food Digest says, that wholesalers actually do encourage producers to talk to and get involved with retailers. (more…)

CF Supplier Conference

SFFF 2011 Update

sfff2I must be getting old – 4 days at Speciality Food Show and I was completely exhausted for the rest of the week.  It was a big event for Cotswold Fayre this year with over 50 suppliers at the show which does, of course, vastly increase the amount of visitors to our stand.  In fact this show we see as being the key one of the year, so much so it is a condition of our taking on new brands that they exhibit at Speciality and Fine Food Fair in their first year with us at least.

As usual even from lunchtime on the first day I was being asked “How is the show for you?” (more…)

SFFF 2011 Update