Ange is starting a food business (again)
Starting a food business… why does anyone do it? I started Wandering Cooks because I wanted to make preserves. Preserves were everything to me- flavour intensified, bold emphasis and subtle italics...
View ArticleMistakes Made, Sunk Costs and Food Business
I had a hard conversation with a food maker last night. He’d made some terrible mistakes (his words) – decisions that equalled tens of thousands of dollars spent with still no real food business to...
View Article10 business books I’ve read to solve problems in my food business
I’ve been listening to a business book, The Personal MBA. Every few minutes Josh Kaufman says something of direct relevance to my food business. It’s like I’ve got a personal business coach sitting in...
View ArticleBeing honest about starting a food business
So I said I’d tell you week to week what it’s like for me to start a new food business … and now I’m regretting it a bit. Partly because I haven’t had time to do much ‘starting up’ lately. But also...
View ArticleSuz Schulte gets naked about starting a food business
I was so happy to see our first ‘naked’ response come through my email. Here it is, unabridged because it’s perfect just the way it is. Keep ’em coming! So – I read your latest article and it really...
View ArticleCooking up a Food Business
My favourite kind of cooking occurs when I have some time to wing it. I’ve got the direction I’m looking for in my head – I just don’t know exactly how I’ll get there. So I just start. The beer in my...
View ArticleFinding the gold in customer feedback
My customers often see my business more clearly than I’m seeing it, offering me feedback, judgements and constructive opinions about what I should do. I’m not going to give examples of their feedback...
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Eating the Other – Angela Hirst
Ash here, Ange has passed over the reigns FINALLY so I can harp on only for a smidge how cool she is so (now in a David Attenborough voice) let us trek into the wild mind of Angela Hirst, owner of...
View Article11 Food Business Ideas
As Seth Godin would say, to have good ideas you first need to have lots of ideas and some of them will be bad. Here’s a mix I wrote down on my walk to work: A pick your own herb garden A tailor made...
View ArticleWhat is Food By Us?
Sign up to Food By Us Food By Us launched in Sydney in 2016 with the aim to connect food buyers to their local food makers through their online platform. The team have grown their brand in both...
View Article6 tips from my first 6 months
In November 2016, Anna Jones launched a human-grade dog meal delivery business called Suburban Pup. Why? Because humans are busy and dogs are awesome. She works an early morning in our kitchens, when...
View ArticleKitchen incubators, de-risking and a little indignation
People often ask, ‘what kinds of things do your customers sell?’ I’ve always told them that it’s a mix: about a third make products for wholesale to cafes and independent grocers, another third sell...
View ArticleResisting the whole picture
Sometimes, I don’t think things through. I mean, I intentionally resist seeing the whole picture. I started on a jamming slam this week, churning through kilos of strawberries, rhubarb, cumquats and...
View ArticleCome work with us!
Our beautiful bar and our collection of incredible local produce is growing even more hence we’re on the hunt for badass bar tenders to nail it at our wee establishment. Our dream badasses would: –...
View ArticleGetting crazy naked with Paula Morris
Angela posed a challenge to the food makers at Wandering Cooks a couple of weeks back urging them to get naked about their food business – Paula Morris from Happy Home Chef took on the challenge and...
View ArticleWhat not to ask a business owner – can I pick your brain?
Hi Angela, I’ve been trying to get in touch with you to pick your brain about Wandering Cooks. It’s such an interesting concept and I’d really like to set up something in Canberra. I’m in Brisbane on...
View ArticleWhy am I so lucky?
to have stayed standing through all the leaning in? and the endless days, weeks, months of not making it but having to keep going anyway. When I see this video of Jo and Sam I’m reminded of the sheer...
View ArticlePodcast – Caveman Kitchen
Ange sat down with Robyn from Little Birdy Cakes and Abbey from Caveman Kitchen to discuss starting a food business. Robyn was keen to learn from Abbey’s success and a lot of ground was covered. Grab a...
View ArticleWe’ve got some shoes to fill, for now…
The lovely Olga will be jaunting off to Mexico soon for a much needed holiday and we’re on the hunt for a casual or two to fill her shoes with the possibility of staying on after she returns. The Bar...
View ArticleBiggest mistake so far? Being too accommodating
I asked our kitchen customers about the biggest mistakes they’ve made since starting their food businesses, and as usual the crew shared with beautiful abandon. They’re awesome like that. I’ll share...
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