'Put down your phone and chat': What food producers should do to make it at the markets

Many of Ireland’s most successful food businesses have cut their teeth at weekend stalls.

By Margaret Hoctor Kilmullen Farm

PUT DOWN YOUR phone and start a conversation. That’s one of the best pieces of advice I can offer anyone running a stall in a farmers market.

You never know who you are talking to and where that conversation can lead you. It could be a member of the public who will give you an idea for a new product line, a chef searching for new producers to supply their restaurant, or a journalist on the hunt for their next story.

That’s the beauty of farmers markets. With more than 150 dotted around the country, they not only offer consumers an array of locally sourced produce to sample and purchase, they also provide producers with a valuable opportunity to promote their business, meet new customers, undertake market research and test new products.

It can be daunting cold-calling a chef or food writer on a Monday morning, but if they wander up to your stall on a Sunday afternoon, relaxed and ready to chat and sample your produce, then you have an amazing opportunity to engage with important buyers and influencers.

Taking a stall at farmers markets, first at the People’s Park in Dun Laoghaire and later at Marley Park in Rathfarnham, was transformational for our family business, Kilmullen Farm – Lamb Direct. The stall has become a critical part of our weekly income.

More importantly, however, it has been a vital market research tool. For instance, before I began in Dun Laoghaire in 2013, I incorrectly assumed that consumers were solely interested in the traditional leg of lamb.

It wasn’t until I began talking to people at the stall that I realised not everyone wants such large portions or has the freezer space to store them. As a result, we began introducing different cuts and this has been a huge success for our business.

That’s why it’s so important to ask the right questions: “What are you planning to cook?”, “How many are you serving?”,”What’s the occasion?” All answers provide valuable insight into your market and can often shine a light on opportunities that you may have missed.

They also help you to define your unique selling point, which is so critical. If you are to be a true success in this business, you have to offer something that no one else is doing. This could be anything from gluten-free cakes to organic sweetcorn.

I always advise would-be sellers to visit their preferred market a few times before they apply for a stall so that they can observe the other stallholders. There is no point in trying to duplicate what is already there, you simply will not get in.

With one-third of consumers purchasing more local food than they did 12 months ago, the future is bright for Ireland’s growing network of farmers markets. But they are also a serious business.

But while the markets are a fun shopping experience for consumers and a great day out for the family, they are a serious business for producers. It is important to plan accordingly and put your best foot – and indeed your best food – forward.

Here are my top-five tips for a successful stall:

  • Define your unique selling point (USP). Visit the market before you apply to make sure you offer something different to existing stallholders
  • Put your best foot, and indeed food forward, with a beautiful stall. It should be colourful, well signposted, and above all, clean. Transparent pricing is also important
  • Print handouts so that customers can read about your business while they wait and take your details with them when they go. Offering recipes or cooking tips adds value
  • Be ready to have the chat. Put away your phone and start asking questions
  • Make sure everyone working on your stall is as good as you. Arrange for them to shadow you for two weeks before leaving them on their own. They will represent your business.

Margaret Hoctor runs Kilmullen Farm – Lamb Direct. She will be delivering a series of Bord Bia workshops for aspiring food entrepreneurs on selling at farmers markets. They begin in Dublin on Monday and finish in Killarney on 7 March.

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