October. Never again

If you want to skip the reading and booking the 4-course menu supper club, click here.

I’m writing this newsletter very, very tired. Probably when I shouldn’t. 

I should be reflective, looking back on the month with some balance… but when you’ve got a Monday-to-Friday job and a business, that’s easier said than done, especially when a weekend doesn’t go as planned.

Anyway, I’m always thinking of friends when I write this, so as always, expect something raw and unfiltered. The life of a small business owner is anything but balanced, and this newsletter probably reflects that perfectly, haha.

October started pretty well. We went up north to Scotland for a week’s holiday (I added some photos with the doggies after a few of you asked for them!). It was meant to be a full disconnection, but to be honest, it ended up being a partial one; I still worked a bit.

We had our second Stockbridge Market and almost sold out, so that went pretty well. It’s a bit busier and more touristy, but it gives us the chance to reach a different kind of crowd.

We also did our first Tiramisu pre-order for Leith Market , and wow, thank you so much for the response! Over 20 people ordered and gave us valuable feedback to help us perfect our vegan tiramisu. I really appreciate it. Without you on the other side, there’s no business, no creativity, no room to grow.

To be completely transparent, not all the reviews were perfect, we had two with some notes: “Tasted very nice but more of a trifle texture as the sponge to filling ratio was off, and it was quite sweet. Coffee flavour needs to be increased and less sponge.”

Leith Market is still one of our favorites. We love the vibe, the neighbourhood feel, and the familiar faces coming back. It’s amazing to see how we’re slowly building our own little crowd, and we ended up selling out again. In fact, it was our best Leith Market yet in terms of sales.

Our first product

We also attended to the VegFest in Kirkcaldy with our first batch of products: our bean curd kebab mix (ready to cook at home), sandwiches, and tiramisu. It wasn’t the busiest day, but we always love meeting other like-minded businesses and people.

Now, the food truck… ah yes, the food truck. We finally left it in the garage to hopefully fix it for good. I say “hopefully” because back in July, after a temporary repair, Gemma picked up the truck and was told there was structural damage from the accident (meaning if a strong gust of wind hit while the hatch was open, it could literally rip off the hatch and roof) And what did Gemma do with that information? She put it in the back of her mind, forgot about it, and never told me. Now we have some complicated issues that weren’t even quoted on the original invoice that Glasgow Council paid for. So… let’s see how that goes.

Speaking of Glasgow Council. Still radio silence. Two months now without any resolution on the loss of earnings, even though I’ve been sending an email every Monday asking for updates

Lastly, our most recent pop-up in Leith.

Gemma created a menu just for it because, well, she loves to mix things up. We’d been told about the experiences of other pop-ups, so we prepared accordingly, perhaps a bit too much. Gemma made 3kg of pasta and 8L of béchamel for the frittatina (yes, really).

Long story short, Friday was slow and Saturday was a little better thanks to the Vegan Society group that came for dinner. There were a lot of factors , Halloween, rugby, football,  but when you put so much love into what you do and the results don’t match your effort, it’s hard not to feel frustrated. I could’ve been resting at home instead of waiting in a quiet kitchen.

But Sunday made up for it. 

Many regulars and friends showed up, and I’m so grateful for that. 

It turned a bittersweet weekend into a sweet one, quite literally, because I went home and ate a ton of tiramisu, haha. Every event, market, or pop-up teaches us something.

This weekend reminded us again that unpredictable, open-ended events just aren’t our thing.

So, while I won’t say “never again,” our next pop-ups will be more intimate, with limited spaces and pre-tickets only. That way, we can plan more effectively, reduce food waste, and further refine our dishes. 

Monthly balance ⚖️

Future plans 🚀

More pre-ticketed supper clubs if the one in North Berwick goes well.

More images of the month

PS: We had our first viral Instagram video! 160k views.

Marta | Project Manager | Planet G.
Sustainable Kitchen by Gemma Costa (Masterchef the Professionals)
Scottish Street Food Award Champions 2024.
Catering, weddings, events
@planetgfood