Cooking Clubs: Try Out a New Idea!

[JBane]

Hi,
I am trying out a new idea of "cooking clubs" What do you think?
I know scrapbooking/stamping people do it all the time, so why not cooking!

 

[ladybug]

QuestionWould everyone be cooking or just you? What's the difference between this and kitchen show?? Is it like a cooking class???

~okay, maybe that was more than one question

 

[JBane]

I have some friends at my church interested. My idea for the first club meeting is to demonstrate the Ice Cream Sandwich Maker. It would be a very relaxed kitchen show. We could try new recipes, use "new" products, and have a fun evening of getting together. I would hope it would take off and I could meet new people and set up clubs for other people.
It would guarantee a show and minimum sales of $150.

 

[janel kelly]

I don't think its a bad idea if you know alot of people who are interested. Is everyone ok with spending $30? I know people that might be interested but I don't know if they would agree to spending $30. That is probably since most people I know are in the military and don't have too much extra cash. Its a neat concept though and anyone could adapt it to the people they know. Thanks for sharing it with us!

 

[noradawn]

Joyce,

I can't wait to hear how it turns out for you! It's a really cool idea. Please keep us updated.

Nora

 

[JBane]

I don't think its a bad idea if you know alot of people who are interested. Is everyone ok with spending $30? I know people that might be interested but I don't know if they would agree to spending $30. That is probably since most people I know are in the military and don't have too much extra cash. Its a neat concept though and anyone could adapt it to the people they know. Thanks for sharing it with us!

Well $30 and 6 people is a minimum (1 person being host & 5 guest) =$150 qualifies as a show. The goal would be more members. The "host" for the evening could invite guests. So more people=more sales!

 

[Cookie]

Cooking ClubI've heard of cooking clubs before where everyone helps cook and brings home a finished product or perhaps something ready to be baked that could be put in the freezer. It seems like I saw something like this on t.v.

I'm wondering if it would work to say have your 6 people min. and maybe a flat $30, and then say the first month you would make, in assembly line fashion, 6 chicken broccoli rings and have ordered in advance 6 lg. rd. stones to put them on and everyone takes them home and freezes them until they want to use them. The stone is 25.50 and the other 4.50 could go to food. You could buy the chicken and crescent rolls and then ask each person to also bring one inexpensive ingredient like broccoli or mayo. You could include suggestions like serving with a salad or such. (Can you freeze the chicken broccolli ring before it's baked or will the mayo seperate?)

The next month you could make something different and purchase in advance some other kind of product to make it, the chopper or something. Then by the end of the 6 months they would have a basic set of tools to work with and they would have 6 easy meals they would know how to make.

Just an idea, I think when I first got married that I would have found that helpful to have the opportunity to buy the tools slowly and also come home with a freezer meal I could pull out when needed.

 

[PhyllisRamp]

(Can you freeze the chicken broccolli ring before it's baked or will the mayo seperate?)

I don't know that the mayo will freeze well. I would also be concerned about the texture of the crescent rolls when they freeze and then thaw - kind of mushy maybe. I would suggest to the group that it can go in the refrigerator and be lunch or dinner the next day! Or if the show is on a Sunday afternoon, it could be dinner that night!

I love this idea. I also have something for an Apple Pie Class. It came from I-don't-know-who, but it was meant to sell the Pampered Pie Gift Set (discontinued as of 8/31/05). I'm attaching the flyer that I have although I think asking $75 per person is a bit steep.

I still think this can be easily incorporated into this idea though. The Deep Dish Pie Plate is only $29.75 - and 20% off in Sept.

My question is if you're going to have the product available for the guests to make their own/take home that night, how are you pre-ordering to the host's benefit? Unfortunately, catalog shows of $150 only gets the host a 15% discount, no free product value.

Phyllis Rampulla
Independent Sales Director
[email protected]
www.pamperedchef.biz/phyllisramp

 

[Cookie]

PreorderingI was thinking since the group had to sign up in advance and commit to the 6 months you could collect the money/ checks in advance and order for the next month. Who ever was going to have the show in their home that month could pay ony $15 and use the host benefit toward thier order, or you could say you are the host and get the benefits and use the $15 each time to buy small gifts for each participant (or not), a quickcut or something, and then use the rest of the money for yourself (you're not making a huge commission here), or if you hold it at a church or club kitchen you could use the $15 to order something to donate to that kitchen, cooking club members or others may even want to donate a little to add to that order so you could get a food chopper or something. If you are doing it at a church or club you could even bake one there on your stoneware or whatever you're making, then put it in a to go box, and have one of the cooking club members drop it off on the way home, to a church or club member who is in need. You could add a bit to the original cost to cover the extra food.