Olivia Reid, marketing and communications manager at Brighton-based Terre à Terre, explains why the business should win the marketing and PR category of the Guardian Small Business Showcase competition.
After observing on social media that TV critic, columnist and comedian Caitlin Moran was a huge fan of puddings, I contacted her to find out if she would be OK with us naming a dish after her.
She gave us permission to immortalise her in pudding, and when I delivered the full description of the dish she claimed via social media that it was uncanny and that she herself was filled with the same ingredients. Caitlin Meringue is a baked Italian meringue dome filled with gooseberry ice cream sitting on kirsch vanilla sponge and an almond and hazelnut florentine, served with elderflower gooseberry compote, mini kirsch parfait, peppered strawberry and basil puree finished with caramelised hazelnuts.
What followed was the most wonderful social conversation about it all, which included jokes and commentary on our dish descriptions. We offered a meringue marathon for when she next visited and endless complimentary dishes for her to indulge in. The pudding was hugely popular and the interaction increased our following.
All entries which meet the competition criteria are published and our judging panel select a shortlist of the three for each category. Winners are announced at an awards ceremony in summer 2016.
