I'm not sure if the correct word is hectic or frantic, but that was wild and fun ride. The only analogy I can make is like tackling the toughest run in the ski resort. The preceding weeks were like the chair lift taking up to the top, probably followed by a hike to get really hard section. Then strapping on your board and looking down at something that is mighty more scary than when you suggested it over a beer at lunchtime. Then there is no choice, you just have to go. You have to give it your best shot because the alternative is just not pleasant at all.So, on Thursday we had a wonderful party full of friends and family. Many were friends made along the Pure Pasty team (above). It's no longer just me with a wild notion about selling Cornwall's classic dish in the South East of the US. Joshua 'Head Chef' Andrus has been a stalwart now for months. Coming from Michigan he is no stranger to pasties. Mike Smith (my brother-in-law) has been ready to come on board from launch. Then Nicola just wandered into the shop, a Brit living in Vienna, complete with Chef skills and kitchen management (a god send). A certainly not the least; the ever supporting and loving Jen, who has suffered me banging on about pasties for years, then worked all the long hours of Friday, Saturday & Sunday to get us up and running
The party was a fun filled event, we got the bunting out that my mum had sent for the occasion. The British meet up group turned out in force which was wonderful support
. In fact everybody turning up was a spectacular effort as North Virginia's weather had turned from summer into torrential rain all day long. In
fact we had water dripping in from a number of places.
After the party we had to get up really early on the first day of 'go live'.
The problem was that we prepared well for the
party and had work doubly hard to make stock for day 1. We were late opening. It was 12:00 before we flung the doors open. I feared a slow day and having reassure myself that trade will pick up as we go along. The first customer, a wonderful lady, presented me a dollar to mount as my first earned in the business, and promptly ordered 12 pasties. That set the tone for the day brilliantly. We were playing catch up all day long, just making pasties as quick as we could and baking them straight away. As soon they were
coming out of the oven they were selling from the sheet pans, some not even getting a stay in the hot display that had caused me so much heart ache.
Jen did a wonderful job on the till with brother Mike, customer service skills sprang out that I never knew existed. Josh and Nicola were bashing out pastry and ingredients like crazy. Josh has been an absolute star in every aspect in the lead up. Now he was in his element and Nicola was just the support he needed. She even went home and came back with her daughter so she could work much later than we had agreed.
At the end of the day we were
all exhausted, but we had made and sold nearly 200 of little beauties, and Facebook had given some excellent feedback.
The next few days were still going well after the storm of interest on day one. All the local businesses are being really supportive, and we are getting lots of custom from the bike shop next door. A pasty is a great meal for a hungry cyclist after doing a long stretch of the Washington Old Dominion trail.
Now to clean the shop with Mike and close up day 3. Tomorrow is our scheduled close day, and time to sort out all the bugs in our processes.
For all of you who use Twitter we are now going to start tweeting when we get the cart up and running, plus when we start adding to the 'soft launch' menu. We only did 3 to start and intend to build to 6. Plus Sausage rolls of course, as so many people have requested.
