should my mum go ahead with her soup business

[emmaloo1]

hi guys

my mum makes fantastic soups at home and is now thinking of starting a business of selling them at markets and festivals.

as ur all festival goers, ur opions would be really valuable.

i have made a really short questionnaire and i would be lreally grateful if u could follow the link below and fill it out.

thank u !

https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGp6ZnlzLTY0bGh1WlpSeExjMjVTYlE6MQ

[Ricochet]

Done (after initially miss-reading the business as soap!)

[LuckyS7rike]

After filling that in I really fancy some soup!! Damn you and your soup wizardry.

[guypjfreak]

i wish your mum luck but im sorry to say the best soup at Glastonbury is the Dorset blue soup company just cant beat them sorry old son ..

if your going this year try them out and youll see wot i mean

[duggie20]

sold at a good price with a big chunk of crusty bread and butter -a winner!

[duggie20]

sunday dinner soup?

[caroldecker]

As long as a tomato based soup was available id pop over for some soup. Would make a nice change actually. I like to try my best to stay away from burger vans...

[Petaldaze]

Dorset Blue saved my life...(got me back with my ex wife...sorry...I digress!)

I had fallen asleep wearing a very light top, on damp ground, after the last act on main stage, after a day of drinking and forgetting to eat! Luckily my mates all decided to up and move, thus waking me to go with them and as soon as I woke I was shaking uncontrollably. They wrapped me up in every warm garment they could lay their hands on and marched me off to the Dorset Blue (looking like a michelin woman!)...where eventually the shaking subsided sufficiently for me to drink soup and warm up.

Frankly, it was a terrifying experience (the shaking, not the soup ) I was very close to being a festival casualty through my own stupity. We're way more careful these days about eating when drinking, doing so even if not hungry.

So...soup saves your life!

The more the merrier.

Edited April 20, 2011 by Petaldaze

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I have filled out your form as requested. I would advise doing the organic market type things first as an initial foray into this area. You have to pay pretty significant fees for a pitch at a festival.Other events like horse shows, and carnivals would be good too as the pitches will not be that expensive in comparison.

I speak from experience - I once bought a donut (unsure of spelling there) van and went to a horse show and didn't even cover the cost of the pitch.I gave up after that and sold the van. Interesting day though and one I'll never forget - suddenly you become a shop keeper and there's all these expectant faces staring at you. Weird.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I have the IT skills of your average 85 year old. Apologies for any identical multiple posts that may appear here.

Edited April 20, 2011 by Hassibeeninyet

[Mackem]

See the problem is you've been too general for the results to mean anything. Do I find that there are enough options for food at Glastonbury? Yes - more than enough. Do you find that there are enough options for food at Reading, V, etc? No, definitely not. But then she'd never get into Reading whereas she'd have a chance at Glasto, Guilfest, Weyfest etc. But there is a lot of competition at these places. She needs a theme or a unique idea - Dorset Blue has one. Maybe make a big thing about the garnishes (fresh herbs, croutons, cour cream, bacon pieces, whatever). I do think there's room for another though - even at Glasto.

[Mackem]

I once bought a donut (unsure of spelling there) van and went to a horse show and didn't even cover the cost of the pitch.I gave up after that and sold the van. Interesting day though and one I'll never forget - suddenly you become a shop keeper and there's all these expectant faces staring at you. Weird.

[LENNiB]

Form filled - I have been to Glasto twice and never seeen soup for sale (perhaps I wasn't looking hard enough!!). Will definitely purchase some delicious home made soup if the variety and price suit my taste and pocket...and provided I see it being sold!

[grumpyhack]

The price of pitches at big festivals is huge. At Glasto food stalls can pay as much as £20,000 just to get on site before they've sold a single plate of anything.

[ukslim]

See the problem is you've been too general for the results to mean anything. Do I find that there are enough options for food at Glastonbury? Yes - more than enough. Do you find that there are enough options for food at Reading, V, etc? No, definitely not.

[guypjfreak]

The price of pitches at big festivals is huge. At Glasto food stalls can pay as much as £20,000 just to get on site before they've sold a single plate of anything.

[King Kong]

I'm going to have to go out now to buy some Blue cheese soup now ,you've got me hungry !Where is the Dorset Blue stall at Glasto? in the same place every year, can't say I've noticed it before but will definately be checking it out this year yum.

[ukslim]

Do Dorset Blue make soup fresh on site, or do they just heat up packets of the same soup they sell in supermarkets?

I'd be more inclined to buy freshly made soup -- maybe something hearty with root vegetables and meat; it ought to be pretty straightforward to produce in quantity for a festival -- massive pots, couple of staff chopping vegetables...

[Mackem]

I would probably try soup at Glastonbury though -- although I've never noticed Dorset Blue.

[ukslim]

or maybe something unique about the container's they're served in.

Edited April 21, 2011 by ukslim

[G1T]

Do Dorset Blue make soup fresh on site, or do they just heat up packets of the same soup they sell in supermarkets?

[ukslim]

I don't exactly think you can buy Dorset Blue soup in packets in supermarkets tbh. At least if it's still run by at least one the couple that used to run it. Used to see them weekly at Bristol farmer's market before circumstances changed. Blue Vinny is one of the best blue cheeses I've ever had tbf.

[Filthy]

I had some delicious beef and veg soup at SGP a couple of years ago, it was about all I could stomach due to "indulgences" the night before. Soup is an excellent thing to eat if you've been up all night and need something nutricious, it's an overlooked market I think.

[Party-'Scatter'!]

In the heat of last year no way I would have soup. In the rain of 2007 - I would have had it on a drip!

[Mackem]

Ooh, crap, sorry about the size...