Anyone make $ from selling breads/baked goods?

[The YardFarmers]

Has anyone sold baked goods to make some $?
What did you find that sold well or not well?
Where did you sell your things?
Did you have any problems?

I am considering testing the waters again to sell some baked goods. I tried about a year ago to sell some breads at my husband's work and wasn't too successful, although they are more than happy to eat up all the free stuff I send in! I am thinking about trying again and being a bit more patient and consistent, and maybe try some different products. I can't bake a lot in one day and I mostly make no knead breads.

Some things I am thinking about

1. An everyday loaf bread
2. Sourdough loaf
3. Round sourdough rye
4. An herb bread

I also make up a nice dipping spice that I could include with the breads.

I am also considering mini loaves of quick breads for coffee breaks, or cookies, or muffins. I haven't tried these, but it may be more successful. I could also do homemade yogurt and granola.


The Farmers Markets and food coop are already abundantly supplied with baked goods, so I am trying to think of other selling outlets.
I want to build up to something that i could make $15-20 a day on average. Right now I am thankful for the paper delivery job I have, but I don't make much for the time it takes, plus the gas and other expenses. And it's becoming really hard on my fibromyalgia to the point of running my health down.

Thanks for all your suggestions and help!

YardFarmer Julie

 

[mrs.puff]

The key is to finding an "in" with a friend or family member who works somewhere with people who would want to buy your product. I manage to sell some eggs every couple of weeks through a friend who works in the local courthouse.

Sweet breads go very well at the market I sell at, and artisanal types also, as long as the cost isn't too high. Unfortunately flour and all is so expensive now! Muffins are popular, as well as angel food cakes at my market. Cupcakes too. Plain sourdoughs and such, not so much.

I have an extremely yummy, very addictive, bread recipe that uses evaporated milk and has no kneading. I'll get it to you if you want.

 

[miss_thenorth]

I knew a woman who did a great job taking orders for Christmas baking. She would make up certain platters, all varying in what was in them and the costs of each platter, take pictures of them and post them up in the grocery stores etc. (Mind you this was in a small community) She listed what was in each platter, the price and if you wanted a platter, you called her and ordered whatever platter you wanted. She would take special orders but they cost more.

She did very well at Christmas time.

 

[On Our own]

I have managed to sell to a local bed and breakfast, and special orders from friends and relations.

The bed and breakfast gig was good at first, they were happy to be able to say they got their fresh bread from the same farm their eggs came from. But we could not produce enough eggs to keep up with their demand. And the bread demand got too labor intensive and not rewarding enough $. I suspect I could have kept it up but I was working too much and the hours were killing me.

I will do the special requests. I just did ten loaves of my specialty cherry date sweet bread and ten loaves of banana bread and three bread bowls and two extra loaves for the break up bread to eat the dip with (I cheated on the dip!)

This was for a wedding, and the bride loves my cherry date bread but it did not go over much at the reception - the banana bread and the bowls were hoovered! The bridal party had not even made it to the reception when one of those was gone! LOL!

 

[Woodland Woman]

I would think small things people could eat at work would go over well. Muffins, cookies, small breads, cupcakes, rolls, etc. People are more likely to spend a dollar or 2 for immediate satisfaction. Then maybe you could take orders for larger items. Like cakes, large breads, muffins for the family on weekends, etc. A week or 2 before holidays remind people and see if they want orders. See if people have a birthday coming up in their family too.

 

[sufficientforme]

I was just reading this article and thought it was a cute idea, something different and quick snack.

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2010/04/12/jar-pies-coffee-barflies/?test=faces

 

[Ldychef2k]

I made a very good living for several years being a "homestyle caterer". I did four things: As "The Lunch Lady", I delivered lunches to workplaces both to individuals and for meetings, etc. Made freezer meals for busy moms, which I delivered in the early afternoons so they could bake them for dinner. Catered buffet events for up to 300 (no staff for formal service). And I also did custom orders for "scratch cakes" and cookies of all kinds. I had 20 or so different products.

I was a wonderful experience, especially when the economy was good. Now? Not so much. I am enjoying making the cookies for the bake sale on May 1.

I advertised mostly by word of mouth, but The Lunch Lady did have a booth at a Chamber of Commerce event, where I gave out 1200 samples of lemon cookies with rosemary glaze, and Mexican chocolate mini cupcakes with cayenne pepper ganache. After that event, I went on to be executive caterer of our local AA baseball team.

Being self-employed in the food industry, I had a lot of hoops to jump through. Business license, food handlers certfication, finding a certified kitchen, and paying fees all along the way. But it was worth it, I can promise you that.

Because our local unemployment is 17%, and because the national economy is failing---shoot, so is the global economy---I am not cooking professionally any more. People are cutting back pretty significantly.

Not trying to discourage you, but there is a lot of hoop jumping involved, and of course the risk !

 

[Bettacreek]

Like someone else said, if you have a good "connection", you're pretty well set. When Andy goes to work and mentions anything that I make, he comes home with an "order" from co-workers. Granted, he works in a prison, and there are a LOT of employees. I'm actually surprised at the amount of them that wanted soaps, considering that most are men.

 

[The YardFarmers]

Many thanks to all of you! What interesting experiences and advice you have. Very common sense, too. You all sound like fantastic cooks.

I talked to my husband about sending things in for his break room. I guess there is a work committee that buys and resells things for snacks, and then they use the profits to put on a couple picnics for the employees each year. I'm guessing they probably buy from Sams Club. I would need to share any "profit" with them, so I'm just not sure it would be worth it, unless it would help me get my name out for special orders. I would rather have something more consistent though- it just works out better with everything else I have going on.

We have our village yard sales coming up in a couple weekends- I think I'll set up a snack table. I'm also thinking about setting a produce/herb/bake table up at the end of the driveway, probably on Fridays and Saturdays. We have a lot of walkers through our neighborhood and it's a safe neighborhood- so I could be working around the YardFarm and set it up on the honor system. Then I could also set out info about our eggs, breads, and the few more CSA produce subscriptions we have left.

How do you think the weather would affect breads or cookies that were left outside on a table? What do those of you who sell at the Farmers Markets do to keep things from getting too warm or getting condensation in the plastic bags/wrap? Do you have examples out on a table and keep the rest back in coolers?

Thanks again. I guess I'll have the fun job of selecting some recipes this next week!

YardFarmer Julie

 

[abifae]

I've never tried, but I have been told it's very difficult to make money on any type of cooking.

The better quality the more true this is LOL.

I really want to do a catering with the low carb/gluten free. There's a real niche.

Plus I could write-off a kitchen....