Should I Continue Offering Olive Oil Dippings at My Cooking Shows?

[PampMomof3]

and wondered if you thought I should continue to do it or not. At all my shows in April, I brought a loaf of french bread and a bottle of olive oil to all my shows to sample the oil dippings. It seemed to work to get some people up to the $60 mark. I wanted to ask you do you think I should continue to do it in May to possibly get them to spend a little extra? The bread is only $2 per show and I have 9 cooking shows booked.

Here's my top sell list since March 1st.

1913 Season's Best® Recipe Collection 23
2583 Mix 'N Chop 21
2578 Garlic Peeler & Slicer Set 17
9805 Parmesan-Garlic Oil Dipping Seasoning 16
GQ88 Chef's Silicone Basting Brush 13
GQ90 Parmesan-Garlic Oil Dipping Seasoning 12
2416 Pineapple Wedger 12
2585 Food Chopper 10
GQ91 Sun-Dried Tomato Herb Oil Dipping Seasoning 9
9806 Sun-Dried Tomato Herb Oil Dipping Seasoning 9
1258 Quikut Paring Knives 9
9860 Asian Seasoning Mix 8
9722 Smoky Barbecue Rub 8
2758 Smooth-Edge Can Opener 7
2730 Ice Cream Dipper 7
2651 Twixit! Clip Combo Pack 7
1642 All-Purpose Spreader 7
2955 Chef's Tongs 6
2622 Mini-Serving Spatula 6
2495 Can Strainer 6
2427 Apple Wedger 6
1114 Kernel Cutter 6
1059 Color Coated Santoku Knife 6

 

[pamperedlinda]

if you sell at least one seasoning you've covered the cost of the bread - go for it!

 

[Mel5497]

I agree with Linda. Can you also leverage it for a cross-sell of some kind...like maybe use it to feature the bamboo, or offer a special seasonings package of assorted flavors for $30, $40, or $50?

 

[chefkathy]

It's a really easy 2nd recipe, so I'd say go for it! You can even ask your host to buy the bread and provide the oil!

 

[ChefLisa]

Selling all of those seasonings will be a great reason in a couple of months to find out if they need to reorder.

 

[pamperedlinda]

For those of you not on CS - Becky (chefbeckyd) posted about the shows she's doing. Below is excerpts between she and I:

Becky: With the new sauces and seasonings - I have them buy a tube of Pillsbury French Bread, and a box of crackers & a block of cream cheese. Then I tell them to buy a whole chicken, and a pineapple.

I bring the olive oil and the seasonings - and we have French bread w/ dipping oils, cream cheese w/ sauces over the top and crackers, I demo the 30 Minute Chicken, and talk about the DCB, and all of the $2 meals that can be made in less than 30 minutes - and then I demo the pineapple wedger, and make a bowl of pineapple chunks. Then, they snack on all of that. It's been working out really well!


me: I'm assuming that you start the show by putting the chicken in the microwave (do you have it already seasoned and ready to go ahead of time?) Then put together the rest of the items during the 30 mins that the chicken is cooking?? What do you do to the chicken when it's done? How do you serve it? Or do you just put it out there and let the guests hack away at it? I'm a terrible carver and would prefer to not do that in front of everyone.


Becky: I have the chicken oiled and in the DCB before the show, and then I put the seasoning mix on it as I'm talking about doing the chicken in the micro. I do this as the first thing in my demo - and then, yep, the rest of it gets done while the chicken is cooking. After I take the chicken out, I walk it around the room so everyone can see it and smell it, and then I pop the lid on it while I do a quick review, and go over checkout, and do the final drawing.

I'm a terrible carver too - so I tell them that's why I show it to them before I start hacking away at it. Actually, I mostly cut it up into chunks w/ the scissors. I also cut the legs off with the scissors, and that usually really impresses people.

I may try this at some upsoming shows. It seems so simple and shows a lot in a short time.

 

[chefkathy]

I was thinking of this as well, Linda, for my May shows. I am moving in a couple weeks and need something EASY and QUICK for all my May shows. Thanks for sharing it with us!