Selling at the village fete.

[The Singing Stalker]

For some reason I managed to get myself involved in the local fete in July. As they were discussing getting stalls in, someone asked me to set up a stand for the venison and stupidity I said yes. Never done it before, Well, I suppose I should do something to promote the sales, and there will be a lot of the village there in one state or another.
Anyhow, I’ve been spending enough money out, so it is about time I made some back to pay for all the toys.

So, quick rummage up in the attic and found a gazebo that we weren’t sure we had. One thing sorted. Maybe, next to check the mice haven’t eaten it.
On to vista print and designed a banner to go across the front of the gazebo, so it looks a bit professional. Arrived in about 4 days, I was amazed. Looks pretty good as well.
Now got 500 flyers coming, might as well promote myself some more. I am not sure I will realistically sell much there, it is more bands and drink beer type of thing, well, it is for me. , so get people to sign up to be notified of when stuff is available.

I have a couple of cool boxes I can take with me, but that aside, don’t want to be holding much meat there. Anybody else do fairs and stuff? I freeze all mine, easier to keep. Interested in hearing what you do and how.

 

[tozzybum]

Tim ,Vss on here does lots of game fairs and most excellent prize winning butchery.
Worth a p.m see what he can advise .

 

[wytonpjs]

Started doing a monthly local market stall 500m from my house in January. They supply the Gazebo, you provide everything else. I try to manage carcasses so that I have a 50:50 split of fresh and frozen and I take the fresh up in a 75litre military cool box and the frozen in a small Beko single chest freezer. I bought a small cold glass-fronted chiller display from auction after an appeal on here and a steer by an SD member, a small for a very good price. I cycle the display meat through the chiller and cold box/freezer so that people have something to look ant. No power is supplied and most markets do not allow petrol generators. Converted mine to run on LPG but bought an Anker Solix 1kw battery pack from CostCo and that have now been used twice for the 6 hr the market runs running both the chilled display and the freezer. Advertising banner (2nd attempt following dyslexia ****-up ), sign-up sheets, business cards and suggested menus complete the mix. I easily cover the market costs and am promoting increased local sales but for me, it’s about moving the carcasses on so I can get out to shoot more given I have no local AGHE and can only sell so many whole carcasses on GUTG.

First picture is of a fresh product only day when I had no car to get the stuff up there as normally I take the kit up in a small trailer with the chiller and freezer on “bread delivery” dolleys.



Having the LA’s 5* food safety stickers is a great help as are the cleaned heads which get people taking. I take up a few recipe books and a few copies of cooking times, etc. I send a mail shot with a stock list out to those who have signed up a few days before the market and that normally confirms 3-figure £ sales before I even open. Good luck. I find SWITBO’s database stock sheets essential to keep track of what’s been sold and I got a £25 Sum-Up contactless payment machine too - I’d say 90% of all sales on the day are by card.

 

[wytonpjs]

Started doing a monthly local market stall 500m from my house in January. They supply the Gazebo, you provide everything else. I try to manage carcasses so that I have a 50:50 split of fresh and frozen and I take the fresh up in a 75litre military cool box and the frozen in a small Beko single chest freezer. I bought a small cold glass-fronted chiller display from auction after an appeal on here and a steer by an SD member, a small for a very good price. I cycle the display meat through the chiller and cold box/freezer so that people have something to look ant. No power is supplied and most markets do not allow petrol generators. Converted mine to run on LPG but bought an Anker Solix 1kw battery pack from CostCo and that have now been used twice for the 6 hr the market runs running both the chilled display and the freezer. Advertising banner (2nd attempt following dyslexia****-up ), sign-up sheets, business cards and suggested menus complete the mix. I easily cover the market costs and am promoting increased local sales but for me, it’s about moving the carcasses on so I can get out to shoot more given I have no local AGHE and can only sell so many whole carcasses on GUTG.

First picture is of a fresh product only day when I had no car to get the stuff up there as normally I take the kit up in a small trailer with the chiller and freezer on “bread delivery” dolleys.

View attachment 421987View attachment 421986View attachment 421988

Having the LA’s 5* food safety stickers is a great help as are the cleaned heads which get people taking. I take up a few recipe books and a few copies of cooking times, etc. I send a mail shot with a stock list out to those who have signed up a few days before the market and that normally confirms 3-figure £ sales before I even open. Good luck. I find SWITBO’s database stock sheets essential to keep track of what’s been sold and I got a £25 Sum-Up contactless payment machine too - I’d say 90% of all sales on the day are by card.

BTW - I started saving all deer ears on animals taken, dry them out in a gauze “dehydrator” bag, vac pack and sell for £4 or £6 a pair, depending upon size. I can sell all I take to market!

 

[nun_hunter]

BTW - I started saving all deer ears on animals taken, dry them out in a gauze “dehydrator” bag, vac pack and sell for £4 or £6 a pair, depending upon size. I can sell all I take to market!

Thats a good idea, even just for keeping for my dog to eat. I bought him a dried cows ear for a few quid which took him a while to chew up and eat. It then took only a bit longer to go through him and come out looking like a short bore snake that looked like it had given his insides a good scrubbing

 

[devon deer stalker]

Agree with @wytonpjs get yourself a Sumup otherwise you will lose sales

Never thought about ears, how do you go about that?

 

[VSS]

BTW - I started saving all deer ears on animals taken, dry them out in a gauze “dehydrator” bag, vac pack and sell for £4 or £6 a pair, depending upon size. I can sell all I take to market!

How about the legislation around manufacturing and selling pet foods? Does that apply to things like ears and antler chews? I think it probably does, as pet foods derived from animal byproducts are specifically mentioned:

Pet food

The FSA is responsible for animal feed legislation which covers the manufacture of feed for non-food producing animals including pet food and pet treats.

www.food.gov.uk

 

[Heym SR20]

God alone knows about all the legal bollox.

But doing this sort of thing and introducing people to venison can only but win over the masses to our way of thinking. They don’t all need to become shooters, but having most of a village appreciate what you produce can only be a good thing.

Even better to get a braii going and serve it there and then.

I did the cooking first a friends birthday a couple of years ago. He is typified North Londoner who has bought a small holding and has lots of hippy type friends who are into rewilding veganism etc etc.

I told that the deer had been shot in patch of new young trees that was 50 yards away from where it was being cooked. It was completely wild, and food miles was perhaps 100m (shot, to barn to butcher, into freezer and back to the fire). I had plenty of vegans devouring it and they viewed me not as a viscous predator, but as a guardian of nature.

We won’t ever get the radicals on our side, but we can get many into a neutral acceptance of what one plate of venison at a time.

 

[wytonpjs]

@The Singing Stalker Be also prepared for disappointment My market stall organiser has literally just cancelled the market planned for Saturday week as well as the one planned for July, having previously cancelled May's one at short notice due to lack of traders. My next opportunity with them is August! At least the fallow will be back in them.................

 

[wytonpjs]

How about the legislation around manufacturing and selling pet foods? Does that apply to things like ears and antler chews? I think it probably does, as pet foods derived from animal byproducts are specifically mentioned:

Pet food

The FSA is responsible for animal feed legislation which covers the manufacture of feed for non-food producing animals including pet food and pet treats.

www.food.gov.uk

Thanks for that! The testing requirements for the ABPR04 are more than I'm selling!

 

[The Singing Stalker]

@The Singing Stalker Be also prepared for disappointment My market stall organiser has literally just cancelled the market planned for Saturday week as well as the one planned for July, having previously cancelled May's one at short notice due to lack of traders. My next opportunity with them is August! At least the fallow will be back in them.................

I’m ok as it is our village fete and if no stands show up, it is still going ahead. Long as the bands do.

I am looking at the signup flyer, have you got a closeup? Not that I want to plagiarise or anything. Cough.

I have used WhatsApp, it is painful to grt the stocks on there, I have tried Facebook, but I think the posts are often missed, so think email is going to be the best way overall.

As for giving up the game, that was a waste of time, ooooh that’s a bit expensive, ohh, can you deliver? I came off it in the end.

 

[wytonpjs]

I’m ok as it is our village fete and if no stands show up, it is still going ahead. Long as the bands do.

I am looking at the signup flyer, have you got a closeup? Not that I want to plagiarise or anything. Cough.

I have used WhatsApp, it is painful to grt the stocks on there, I have tried Facebook, but I think the posts are often missed, so think email is going to be the best way overall.

As for giving up the game, that was a waste of time, ooooh that’s a bit expensive, ohh, can you deliver? I came off it in the end.

D

Its just a simple Word form that I transfer into the Customer list in the Database. I'll get SWITBO to email you the files. GUTG has provided a few regulars especially for fallow and is a welcome but not core outlet. I've joined the BDS' Open Food Network Venison site too but that has yet to yield any results. Today's news about the market is VERY disappointing given I have 5 roe and 2 muntjac carcasses lined up in the chiller ready for it but in all honesty, my farm shop outlet is taking most of my output weekly. Always nice to receive feedback like these:

 

[markyw]

BTW - I started saving all deer ears on animals taken, dry them out in a gauze “dehydrator” bag, vac pack and sell for £4 or £6 a pair, depending upon size. I can sell all I take to market!

Is there any special process for drying them out? OR do you just leave them in the gauze bag until they have dried naturally?

Regards

Mark

 

[wytonpjs]

Is there any special process for drying them out? OR do you just leave them in the gauze bag until they have dried naturally?

Regards

Mark

Exactly that in a internal room with good circulation

This is the current one:

https://www.temu.com/goods.html?_bg_fs=1&goods_id=601099807583309&sku_id=17593390623498&_x_ns_irclickid=zbNTTG25SxycRepQNRzE-UFKUksT5jw3mQsl0M0&_x_ads_account=18350&_x_ads_id=1857643&_x_ns_iradname=test%20app&_x_ns_iradsize=&_x_ns_prodsku=&_x_ns_irmptype=mediapartner&_x_ns_sharedid=753122&_x_ns_ts=1748518465122&_x_ns_randint=6618299&_x_ns_adtype=TEXT_LINK&_x_ns_irmpgroupname=%22jw%22&_x_ads_channel=impact&_x_ns_mp_value2=&_x_ns_mp_value3=&_x_ns_irmpname=MaxBounty.com%20ULC&_x_ns_irpid=10813&_x_sessn_id=rrruf6o4f1&refer_page_name=bgt_order_detail&refer_page_id=10045_1748518481898_ch45vy5s8l&refer_page_sn=10045

I do have a food dehydrator but frankly, air-drying works very well, just make sure the ears are well spread out and not touching the sides.

 

[Freeforester]

they viewed me not as a viscous predator,

That must be quite a comfort..

 

[shakey jake]

Exactly that in a internal room with good circulation

This is the current one:

https://www.temu.com/goods.html?_bg_fs=1&goods_id=601099807583309&sku_id=17593390623498&_x_ns_irclickid=zbNTTG25SxycRepQNRzE-UFKUksT5jw3mQsl0M0&_x_ads_account=18350&_x_ads_id=1857643&_x_ns_iradname=test%20app&_x_ns_iradsize=&_x_ns_prodsku=&_x_ns_irmptype=mediapartner&_x_ns_sharedid=753122&_x_ns_ts=1748518465122&_x_ns_randint=6618299&_x_ns_adtype=TEXT_LINK&_x_ns_irmpgroupname=%22jw%22&_x_ads_channel=impact&_x_ns_mp_value2=&_x_ns_mp_value3=&_x_ns_irmpname=MaxBounty.com%20ULC&_x_ns_irpid=10813&_x_sessn_id=rrruf6o4f1&refer_page_name=bgt_order_detail&refer_page_id=10045_1748518481898_ch45vy5s8l&refer_page_sn=10045

I do have a food dehydrator but frankly, air-drying works very well, just make sure the ears are well spread out and not touching the sides.

Ive started drying deer ears, feet, wind pipe and lungs for my dogs also duck feet.
Hate waste and the dogs seem to like a treat.
No clue on the selling side

 

[Grand Slam]

For some reason I managed to get myself involved in the local fete in July. As they were discussing getting stalls in, someone asked me to set up a stand for the venison and stupidity I said yes. Never done it before, Well, I suppose I should do something to promote the sales, and there will be a lot of the village there in one state or another.
Anyhow, I’ve been spending enough money out, so it is about time I made some back to pay for all the toys.

So, quick rummage up in the attic and found a gazebo that we weren’t sure we had. One thing sorted. Maybe, next to check the mice haven’t eaten it.
On to vista print and designed a banner to go across the front of the gazebo, so it looks a bit professional. Arrived in about 4 days, I was amazed. Looks pretty good as well.
Now got 500 flyers coming, might as well promote myself some more. I am not sure I will realistically sell much there, it is more bands and drink beer type of thing, well, it is for me. , so get people to sign up to be notified of when stuff is available.

I have a couple of cool boxes I can take with me, but that aside, don’t want to be holding much meat there. Anybody else do fairs and stuff? I freeze all mine, easier to keep. Interested in hearing what you do and how.

Started doing some fairs this year and things have been really positive. Usually plan ahead and take a stock of fresh with us, but also have some frozen in case we run out. Started making antler bottle openers, key rings, wine bottle stoppers and also whiskey glass holders. If nothing else it peaks peoples interests and gets people to stop and look.

Being able to pass on the knowledge of UK deer, the current issues, and the provenance of all my products is a massive thing for me. The customers I deal with love hearing the whole story.

 

[VSS]

. The customers I deal with love hearing the whole story.

That's what sells the product, every time!
Customers feel like they're buying in to that story.

 

[The Singing Stalker]

@wytonpjs files received last night thanks. Really good stuff there. Well done.

 

[wytonpjs]

@wytonpjs files received last night thanks. Really good stuff there. Well done.

Thank-you