How Creamed Honey Became My Most Popular Item…
and why it’s important to include supplementary items on your baking menu. In the summer of 2022, creamed honey became the most popular item both in my farmer’s market stall and in my online shop, even surpassing the popularity of my sourdough bread on many days. At the time, I was simply trying out new products, going through a trial and error phase, if you will. But, ultimately, it taught me an extremely valuable lesson that will live with me indefinitely and certainly benefit my business long term. A lesson that I hope might also help another small business owner.
Throughout the summer of 2022, I was attending my local farmer’s market. I had been taking both cake slices and sourdough bread to the market, which was proving to be quite profitable. The only downside was that I was slowly killing myself trying to bake enough to be prepared for two markets per week. I had decided that I needed to work smarter, not harder and maybe if I brought in some non-perishable items, I could bake a bit less while still having a full market stall. That was when I accidentally came across a recipe for creamed honey and was instantly intrigued. After quite a bit of trial and error, and some ruined raw honey, I began to master the skill of creaming the honey and was delighted with the result. If you have never had creamed honey, I suggest you get some right away. Creamed honey is just raw honey that has changed form but the texture is creamy, spreadable, and absolutely delicious. I love it on toast, waffles, sourdough bread, ice cream….really on anything.
So back to my story…once I felt that my creamed honey was stable and market ready, I did just that…took it to the market and what I found was that other people were also intrigued. So intrigued that I sold all of it within the first two hours of the market (I had taken 15 jars). From that point on, I never attended a market without my creamed honey and there was rarely a market day that it didn’t sell out, even when increasing the quantity. It had also become a top seller in my online shop and, as I write this today, it remains the best seller month after month.
In hindsight (and after attending 48 markets over a six month period!), I know exactly what it was about creamed honey that made it so appealing and it forever altered my understanding of consumer psychology and how I operate my business. Because of creamed honey, here’s what I’ve learned:
1. Offer Something Different to Your Customers: If you look around the markets in your area, or the bakeries in your area, most sell many of the same items. It is fine for you, or I, to also offer the tried and true baked goods but, if we also offer something unique and different, we will have a much greater chance of standing out and attracting customers.
2. Provide an Experience: Include items on your menu, or in your business, that provide an experience. Creamed honey did just that for my business. The process of how it is creamed, the details behind the magic, the refinement or alteration of a simple food many of us love all contribute to the popularity of this delicious item and bring happiness to all who try it and take a jar home with them.
3. Items that Need an Informational Sheet Will Be Popular: I can’t say that this will always be true but I can say that it’s a good rule of thumb. I had a sign up next to my creamed honey and ended up adding a framed information sheet due to the amount of visitors who would see the sign and ask questions. People really enjoyed reading the informational sheet and learning about the honey. It also opened the door for conversation between my customers and myself which was a great way to build trust and connections.
So, moral of the story, it is always a good idea to shake up your menu a bit and add a few things that are not being offered elsewhere, offer an experience, and/or introduce your customers to something new and educational!
