NEWS

 

It’s here! The new Vendor-Only website!

 

To access go: http://www.pappardellespasta.com/vendor

Password: mange

 

The Vendor-Only website contains the following:

 

• Product Overruns list*
• Archive of all our newsletters
• Product/Supply Order forms
• Licenses/Certificates/Inspection forms
• Your  Markets form
• Sales Manual
• Nutritional Information Spreadsheet
• Ingredient/Allergen Spreadsheet.

 

*For those new to us, we periodically offer a limited quantity of special run custom items that we may have some extra of. These items are available on a first come, first served basis. They are a great way for you to feature unique products that no one else will have. Please be sure to check out this list each time before placing an order.

 

It also contains a “Chat Room” where our hope is that you all will pose questions, add information and in general, have a place to “talk” directly with one another.

 

We are very excited to have this new website. We hope that it will be not only a handy resource, but also a place that adds value to your business. And, as always, please send us feedback!

 

INVENTORY TRACKING

 

Thank you to everyone who answered my query about how you keep track of your inventory. As you might imagine, the responses I received varied considerably. Some of you are very conscientious of what goes in and what goes out, while others enjoy the method of “eye-balling” it. From our perspective, we just want you to make sure that you don’t get caught without product and have to end up ordering small quantities (this applies mainly for those who do not live in Colorado), which will of course have an adverse affect on your bottom line.

 

As you might remember from the Sales Manual, we included detailed information and a spreadsheet to assist you in developing your own formula for how to follow and track your inventory. If any of you need that specific tracking information/spreadsheet, please do let me know and I will send it to you directly. By the way, if any of you are using that method, please do let us know how it is working for you.

 

I think you will all enjoy reading how some of you discovered ways to keep track (or not keep track) of your inventory:

 

• “We no longer keep track of beginning or ending inventory on market days.  For us, it was kind of a hassle.  At the end of the day, when we calculate our sales, we then estimate how many pounds of pasta we sold.  This helps us determine how often we need to place an order.  Plus, we just learn which flavors we sell more of.”

 

• “Regarding keeping track of inventory - in the beginning of the market year, I order a certain number of dried pasta, ravioli and sauces. I keep a master tracking sheet of how much ravioli and sauces I have on hand.  Then, the day of the market, I have a list with me of how many ravioli and sauces I have brought with me.  When I get home I update my master tracking sheet to see how much product I have left. With regard to the dried pasta, if I run out of a pasta at the market, I write down what it was so that I can reorder it.  Also, if something isn't selling well and I run out of it, I make a note to try something new. You figure out early on what are big sellers for your market and what's not moving.”

 

• “We keep close tabs on what we sell and also chart what our best sellers are each time we go to market.”

 

• Last year we kept track by writing written receipts for each sale. That is time consuming. This year I have purchased a battery operated cash register, that has up to 99 plu codes. I have programmed in the pasta varieties, and it keeps an exact total of sales, and inventory. We shall see how it works this weekend. Testing looks good.

 

For those who prebag their pasta:

 

• “I don't really keep track of sales of individual pasta, other than noticing whether my prebagged inventory is getting low.”

 

• “As far as inventory tracking goes during markets, we have found it can be very difficult to keep up when things get busy. We finally hit upon an idea last fall that seems to have worked out really well for keeping an eye on what is moving.  Basically, we pre-package every thing in known amounts and are able to see at a glance how many packages of a product have been sold.”

 

For those who didn’t respond but would like to, please feel free to email me directly with your inventory tracking methods.

 

In the next newsletter I will publish the results of the query re: compensation for employees.

 

Thanks so much for all your feedback and information. We love hearing from you!

 

Don't forget: tell your customers to find us on the web or call our 800# to order more products if they can't make it to the market. You will receive a 20% product credit on all gross sales.

 

Tip

I recently discovered this website detailing food events and festivals throughout the United States:

 

http://www.foodreference.com/html/upcomingfoodevents.html

 

I hope it can be of help to those of you who are looking for other venues for selling the pasta.

 

Recipes

I created three new recipes this month: Whole Wheat Orzo with Fresh Mint and Cherry Tomatoes, Lemon Mafaldine Pasta with Spring Peas and Ricotta Salata and Calypso Blend with Jerk Sauce and Grilled Chicken. Each recipe is attached to this newsletter and will appear online.

 

Did You Know: A Few Facts about  Salt

 

• To improve the flavor of poultry, rub the fowl inside and out with salt before roasting.

 

• The average American eats more than 25 times as much salt as is necessary for good health.

 

• Cream will whip better better if you add a pinch of salt.
• Egg whites will beat faster and higher if you add a pinch of salt.
• Rub your hands with salt and lemon juice to remove fish odors.

 

• One pound of salt = 1 5/8 cups 1 tablespoon = 1/2 ounce

 

Food for Thought

Spend more time enjoying a meal than preparing it!

Unknown

 

Mange!
Annie