Name: Whitstable Produce Store
Based: Whitstable
Website: www.whitstableproduce.co.uk
Whitstable Produce Store sells excellent food and drink from Kent producers and suppliers. We opened on Small Business Saturday 2013 with extensive experience in food and drink, sound financial/marketing skills and a plan. We had eight seats, five suppliers and no staff.
Opening in December, we had time to grow steadily, keeping covers, product range, opening hours and cash-flow in balance. By the summer, we had created five jobs, moved to opening seven days a week and expanded to forty covers. We worked hard to ensure that customers’ experience remained consistent as we grew.
We treat our suppliers fairly, give staff regular hours and pay the living wage. We listen to feedback and have adapted both product range and seating in response to demand and comments.
Our customers include regulars and tourists. All are very important, but it’s our regulars who are here in January when some local businesses close.
We invest time, but little cash, in marketing, using social media, maintaining good relationships with local press, engaging with the community and using networks. For our first birthday, we invited suppliers and neighbours to create limited edition products, giving us a strong story with good images for Small Business Saturday.
In our first year, we are delighted that we have been a finalist/runner-up for four awards: Observer Food Monthly, Kent Independent Trader, Taste of Kent, and Kent Life and Kent on Sunday Food & Drink.
We are reinvesting profit to develop in year two, still with a careful eye on cash-flow.
Steve Jones is owner of Whitstable Produce Store
