ANDY FENNER

1. IF YOU WANT TO START A FOOD BRAND, START WITH THE FOOD.

1. | IF YOU WANT TO START A FOOD BRAND, START WITH THE FOOD  NICE LOGOS, COOL DESIGN AND GOOD PREMISES COUNT FOR SHIT  WHO CARES, IF IT'S JUST AN AVERAGE PRODUCT?  PUT LIPSTICK ON A PIG AND IT'S STILL A PIG  STYLE VS. SUBSTANCE  START WITH THE PRODUCT  EVERYTHING ELSE FOLLOWS

2. STOP TALKING.

2. | STOP TALKING  HOW SERIOUS ARE YOU ABOUT THIS?  STOP TELLING EVERYONE ABOUT YOUR FANTASTIC IDEA  JUST DO THE THING  IF YOU DON'T DO IT THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE SOMEONE ELSE IS GOING TO  TAKE THE PLUNGE

3. SELF-DOUBT IS A MOTHER FUCKER.

3. | SELF-DOUBT IS A MOTHER FUCKER  VERY FEW IDEAS ARE OVERNIGHT SUCCESSES  BE PREPARED TO PUT IN THE HARD YARDS  BUILD SOMETHING AND HAVE FAITH  THE SECOND THAT SELF-DOUBT CREEPS IN YOU'RE DEAD  STICK TO YOUR CONCEPT AND BE CONFIDENT IN IT  HAVE PATIENCE.

4. SOMETIMES THE BEST IDEAS AREN’T NEW AT ALL.

4. | SOMETIMES THE BEST IDEAS AREN’T NEW AT ALL EXECUTION IS NOT THE SAME THING AS CONCEPTION YOU DON'T NEED A NEW IDEA YOU JUST NEED TO DO IT BETTER THE REAL TRICK IS IN THE EXECUTION THE SUCCESS OF THE IDEA DOES NOT DEPEND ON THE IDEA ITSELF, IT DEPENDS ON THE WAY IT IS CARRIED OUT.

5. YOUR IDEA WILL CHANGE. BE OKAY WITH THAT.

5. | YOUR IDEA WILL CHANGE  BE READY FOR CHANGE  YOUR IDEA WILL CHANGE ORGANICALLY  READ YOUR AUDIENCE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY ACTUALLY WANT  AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT WE STUCK IN A COFFEE MACHINE  COFFEE ENDED UP PAYING OUR RENT TWO AND A HALF TIMES OVER  WHEN WE WERE BUILDING OUR NEW STORE I REALIZED THE SPACE WAS MUCH, MUCH BIGGER THAN I THOUGHT  A BUTCHERY-BY-DAY, BAR-BY-NIGHT WAS NEVER ON THE CARDS UNTIL TWO WEEKS BEFORE WE OPENED.

5. | YOUR IDEA WILL CHANGE  THE BIGGEST THING WE LEARNT (AND ARE STILL LEARNING) IS THE HUGE AMOUNT OF BUSINESS THAT WE ARE DOING AS A WHOLESALE RESTAURANT SUPPLIER  WE SET THE SHOP UP WITH THE IDEA THAT WE WERE BUILDING A RETAIL STORE  BUT THE DEMAND WAS THERE AND RESTAURANTS KEPT COMING SO WE HAVE MORPHED PRETTY QUICKLY INTO A DISTRIBUTOR WITH A RETAIL ELEMENT

6. START SMALL.

6. | START SMALL  YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO MASSIVE FROM THE START  EASE INTO IT  WE OPENED A BUTCHERY IN A STOREROOM, IT WAS 28 SQUARE METRES  IT WAS A PERFECT WAY FOR US TO START INTRODUCING PEOPLE TO GRASS-FED MEAT, TO WEIRD CUTS AND TO OUR BRAND  OUR OLD SITE HAD NO PARKING, NO VISIBILITY AND NO SHELTER FROM WIND AND RAIN. IT WAS AN ABSOLUTE SHOCKER  WE ALWAYS HAD A BIGGER PICTURE THAT IF IT DID WELL WE WOULD MOVE INTO A MUCH BIGGER PREMISES  ONLINE AND MARKETS ARE POTENTIALLY COOL WAYS TO SEE IF THE PUBLIC ARE GOING TO BE RESPONSIVE TO WHAT YOU'RE SELLING

7. COLLABS ARE THE NEW BLACK.

7. | COLLABS ARE THE NEW BLACK  THE CAPE TOWN FOOD SCENE IS SMALL  THERE'S OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE THERE IS SUCH A FEELING OF COMMUNITY AMONGST THE PRODUCERS  AS A SMALL PRODUCER YOU WILL ALWAYS SUPPORT OTHER SMALL INDEPENDENT GUYS.  SPEAK TO LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE  SURROUND YOURSELF WITH LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE  AND BE A LIKE-MINDED PERSON.

8. EXPOSURE DOESN’T PAY MORTGAGES.

8. | EXPOSURE DOESN’T PAY MORTGAGES AS YOU START GAINING MOMENTUM THE CALLS WILL START COMING THE SECOND THEY START TALKING ABOUT EXPOSURE HANG UP THE PHONE YOU DON'T NEED EXPOSURE YOU NEED MONEY DO YOUR HOMEWORK ON WHO THE RIGHT PERSON IS TO TALK TO FROM VARIOUS MAGS A COMBINATION OF HAVING A GOOD, WELL-DESIGNED PRODUCT AND SPACE COUPLED WITH PLAIN HARD WORK WE ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR INTERESTING ANGLES AND FEATURES.

9. RATHER HAVE ONE CUSTOMER THAN 1,000 FANS.

9. | RATHER HAVE ONE CUSTOMER THAN 1,000 FANS  What's the point in doing this if you aren't growing your business?  You need people buying your product, not admiring it.  Be cool and relevant by all means. But we sought after and accessible.

10. PICK PEOPLE THAT YOU WOULD GO TO WAR WITH.

10. | PICK PEOPLE THAT YOU WOULD GO TO WAR WITH  INVEST IN EQUIPMENT, INVEST IN PREMISES, INVEST IN INGREDIENTS. BUT BEFORE YOU DO ANY OF THAT INVEST IN STAFF  THE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR A START-UP FOOD BUSINESS ARE THE AMBASSADORS FOR THAT BRAND  WE DON'T HIRE PEOPLE AT FFMM BASED ON EXPERIENCE. WE HIRE THEM ON THEIR WILLINGNESS TO LEARN

11. SAY NO.

11. | SAY NO.  IF THINGS GO WELL, THERE WILL BE TALK OF EXPANSION  BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THIS ONE  IF YOU'RE A LITTLE GUY YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE CHALLENGE OF INCREASING PRODUCTION VS. MINTING STANDARDS OF YOUR PRODUCT  NEVER COMPROMISE ON QUALITY  THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE