How many jars or pots do we need to sell to survive?

Last weekend  on social media I saw a post from a lovely couple who have had to close their young food business due to spiralling increased costs. They were naturally devastated - all their hard work gone to waste, but it was the responses to their post that resonated with me.  People were naturally supportive, but many were “shocked” or “surprised” ,  so while waiting for a junior shepherd’s football match to begin on Sunday,  I posted a video explaining how many pots of yogurt, jars of jam or cereal bars you would need to sell as a small food business to survive.  Across the various platforms as I write 4 500 people have looked at it, and hundreds have commentated on it, which is I think an indication of how the topic is resonating with people.  Most of the comments have been from other small business owners, fearful of the challenges they are facing for the remainder of the year.  You can check the video out below, its not meant in any way to be a whinge fest, but a prediction that we will see many small businesses go to the wall in the coming months. So if its possible (and that I know is not always easy), please buy local Irish products if you can.

In much more positive news, the hard work of our amazing cheese makers working quietly behind the scenes (Michael from Mayo, and Danilo from Milan) was rewarded at the weekend. We were told that our semi hard Rockfield cheese was awarded a Gold Medal at the Artisan cheese awards in the UK ! This is some achievement for a cheese which has been on the market for only four years and is competing with the best of the best in Ireland and England. It possibly explains why it’s nearly all sold out, but we will be back again with our 2022 season Rockfield at the end of May !