ANDY FENNER (FFMM)@ANDYWILDONFIRE

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