Small is Beautiful
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Cottage tales | 16 comments
Gate side stand with cottage in the background
Well the little gate side stand is up.
It’s made from an old wooden box that originally held three jeroboams of champagne. Unfortunately not drunk by me. The grand opening was a little later than anticipated as it took a while to screw the box to the fence. The whole process was monitored by two Polish builders who were cleaning out the guttering of the house next door. Once the umbrella was in place I was protected from any stray splashes.
Gate side stand
The umbrella is attached to the other side of the fence with wire clips and the cash box is attached to the umbrella. An old white linen napkin hangs at the back and the golden stars are temporary until I can get into the attic to find our outdoor fairy lights.
The whole process has been great fun. I’m going to make some jars of Belgian Pears today as I found three bags on the Tesco CFC.
All I need now is customers!
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Hi Penny
Thanks for leaving a comment. I’m definitely going to sell baby plants on my stall in the Spring. I’m heating the greenhouse this year when the temperature falls below zero. So I have the perfect setup in place!
Also if the vegetable garden is really productive I could sell organic veg too!
Hi Belinda
I reckon that I’m lucky that I can have an unmanned stall. It might be worth manning one for a few hours each week – when I made wooden toys I had a market stall in Covent Garden twice a week. It was fun.
Hi Pammie
Yes we will do mail order – Danny is going to look into this at the weekend.
Hi it looks fab are you doing postal sales as well so we can order things 🙂
Hmmm you have me thinking too now…
I am not making things in big enough quantities yet but I am starting to have serious gluts – rhubarb is going great guns right now – have made a chutney & I am looking for a jam recipe.
It will be corgette soon – was given a pickle recipe for this today.
Must think more & start off all the friends saving jars.
Thanks for the idea.. could not have an unmanned stall here though… people wouldnt know what to think.
I think your stall looks lovely too Fiona.I live in a town, but on a fairly quiet corner so I experimented this year with selling extra vegetable plants I had grown. They sold really well and covered my own vegetable garden’s seed and compost purchase costs. My 9 year old daughter ‘manned’ the stall at weekends and did really well in drumming up trade. I found that word spread and we had people driving by just to see what plants we had available. I’m even thinking of growing to order next year – perhaps you could do the same with all your lovely chutneys. Just a thought.
Hi Tamar
It’s good fun and as it is so small I don’t needs lots of stock. Yes it’s upmarket recycling!
Hi Joanna
It’s just got very cold all day here but the preserves are standing up well to the chill! In fact I’ve just shot down to the greenhouse and to light the heater. The bubble wrap is proving to be a great investment. I’m sitting in bed with a hat on waiting for the central heating to crack in.
Hi Bib
I guess that they’d kill them for you to get round the problem of having to store them. My mum tells me that geese were sold alive but pre plucked in the markets of post war Germany. They must have been so cold.
Hello Sue
What a shame that you can’t do the same. I’m beginning to think about developing it a bit more – as you say it could be another stream of income. If I got a few more hens – I’ve got a large crate just pleading to be transformed into a hen house – I could sell eggs and our honey in the spring.
Hi Elizabeth
Thank you so must for dropping by and leaving such a positive comment!
Hi Linda
Yes a virtual champagne celebration would have been fun.
Hello Shelley
It’s early days yet – hopefully it will take off. You were my inspiration. Thank you.
Hi Helen
Happy Christmas to you too. I don’t think that I could do this if I lived in a town but in a sleepy village it’s different.
Lucky you – looking forward to summer!
Hi Magic Cochin
I didn’t know that you sell plants as well as prints. Great idea – I think that I’m going to grow extra veg plants this year to sell on the stall. Thanks for the inspiration.
Hello Jane
I think that the regulations kick in when you sell your produce through a shop. I know that you are not allowed to sell homemade wine and if you sell Honey it has to be labelled in a certain way.
Why not give it a go? Your local wine merchant might be able to supply you with a wooden box to set on the gate. My only set up cost was the cash box (a fiver from Tesco).
Hello Kate
Thank you. I’m really enjoying myself with this.
Good Luck Fiona- hope it goes well. Looks lovely.x