Ethical Dilema? (Maybe only to me)

[cheripie]

I'm setting up a vendor table for the first time to sell Easter stuff next week at my local gym. They have people in most days to sell all kinds of things. To make a long story short, I make chocolates and other confections as you all do (from everything I've read, maybe not quite as well yet...) using what I call real chocolate by tempering. I use Guittard. Another person has been selling their stuff there for quite a while and everyone knows her. I know she's using melting chocolate (coating chocolate or pate glace, whatever you want to call it.) So how far do I go in telling people, showing people etc. what the difference is? I planned on having a handout explaining politely the difference, having a plate of pieces of good Guittard dark to taste, having some other finished items to taste.

I certainly don't want to disrespect someone else, but at the same time I want to know the work that goes into what I do and the quality and taste difference.

How does everyone else feel about not using tempered chocolate?

Hope I'm not off base here. From the lurking I've been doing, you all are incredibly helpful.

Cheri

[gfron1]

A couple of thoughts...

First, you have to be real careful because it could backfire on you making you look like a snob or competitive or ... I always opt for letting my products speak for themselves.

Second, I knew our most successful chocolatier in the area was using bark/melting, and I tried to convert her to El Rey. She tried it and her customers preferred her nasty stuff to my El Rey. So the lesson for me was that I'll have my customers and she'll have her's...plenty to go around.

Since you're in a gym, I'd be pushing the health benefits of chocolate and focus more on dark versus sugar-laden milk!

[K8memphis]

I would showcase my work and explain all that is needed but I would not make that other vendor the center of my universe. Who cares what someone else does. Just show your stuff and market it with it's best attributes and to it's best audience.

I want to do better than I did before. Doing better than xyz person is too confining makes them the standard bearer. I want a greater universe to conquer.

But if the other vendor has the market cornered there you may need to find greener pastures. Your stuff may cost more?

[JeanneCake]

I use Guittard.  Another person has been selling their stuff there for quite a while and everyone knows her.  I know she's using melting chocolate (coating chocolate or pate glace, whatever you want to call it.)  So how far do I go in telling people, showing people etc. what the difference is?   

I certainly don't want to disrespect someone else, but at the same time I want to know the work that goes into what I do and the quality and taste difference.

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Some people will prefer the taste of your product, some will prefer the other vendor's. It's not a personal commentary - it's just a taste preference. If someone asks why does yours taste different, you can explain that there are lots of chocolate varieties and it is very much like wine - where you will taste certain things at times.

You don't want to get into a comparison of yours vs theirs because this person will already be feeling that you're moving in on her territory!

In my neck of the woods, there are four "cake people" in a 5 mile radius - we all have various strengths and I feel we are competing for different customers. Some buy on taste, some buy on price - I can't be all things to all people so I appeal to people who buy on taste and the "art of the cake".

You'll find your niche.

How exciting for you! Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

[Rhubarb]

I think tiny samples would be a great idea. Sometimes people whose eyes glaze at product descriptions will fall in love at first taste. Don't be afraid to tout the virtues of your chocolate; it doesn't have to be a comparison. Maybe printed material, explaining your chocolates place of origin, "no vegetable oil", "natural cocoa butter", "high in antioxidants"--this ought to get the attention of the people who are more likely to prefer your product.

[plk]

I wouldn't say anything about the gross melting chocolate, but rather only emphasize how great your chocolates are. The implication will be that the other chocolates for sale may not be as high quality. I would have your handout say something like this: "All of our chocolates are made using real Guittard chocolate that is hand-tempered. Guittard is a California-based company that uses only all natural ingredients, such as pure cane sugar and vanilla beans."

Anyway, something like that. I think you can get across that you are making a great-tasting product using high-end ingredients without making any direct comparisons to someone else.

[sugarseattle]

I agree. Like June Cleaver said to Beaver, "if you don't have anything nice to say about somebody don't say anything at all." People who are interested in luxury goods (and most all products for that matter) are not going to want to spend money with someone with an attitude. Let them fall in love with you, with the high level of standards you hold your product to. Sell that quality. Exude only positive energy. State the good things about your product. Samples sometimes backfire; every time I've offered samples, I've sold LESS...something about why by the cow if you can get the milk for free.

(Boy I'm using cliches)

Anyway, know that the high quality of your products is going to reduce your target market, but also know how to get in front of your target market. And when you get a chocolate connoisseur, don't be afraid to sell them everything you've got! You're right, that marketplace might not be a good match if your competition, who has an economically priced alternative, has cornered the market. Think about what the consumer is seeing when they see the whole place. Why would they buy your products?

[cheripie]

Points all really well taken.

I definitely want to keep it positive. I'm still looking for my target market. The gym I'm going to is pretty upscale, so I'm hoping that even if I don't sell as much as I would like, it'll get my name out there for other events. I did something at a smaller place for Valentine's Day and it got me doing favors for 2 Bar Mitvahs, so that time it paid off.

The comment about samples is very interesting. I'm going to try it this time, but will certainly keep thinking about that.

I'm also going to be doing some chocolate tastings for a local town program over the summer, so hopefully I can find (or create) more people that "get it".

Thanks so much!

Cheri

PS I'm a converted milk chocoholic...

[Desiderio]

I remember when I started offering samples of my chocolates , one lady was so surprised of the quality of the chocolate it self.She told me they tasted so much better of most of the chocolates around .I didnt know that people actually uses chocolate that isnt chocolate ( I am from Italy ) so I was surprised as well , that she mentioned wax and other stuff .

Anyway,I have noticed that my products speaks from themself and I am sure you will have people that will love your products and people that would not .

Like many here already said I woul enphasize ( sp ) the quality of a good chocolate coverture and the natural ingredients , and things like no hydrogenated fat and high fructose corn syrup , and no preservatives ,people nowdays are very concerned about these things and that would be your strong side,without doing comparison with anyone else , you really dont need it .A good product is a good product period.

Let us know how it went .

[prairiegirl]

If you do up a poster board with pictures of you in the kitchen making the chocolate, that could encourage curiosity from the public. I would try to offer some small solid chocolate samples, less than a 2 gram sample in weight so you aren't going to go broke!! but with the solid sample encourage them to let it melt in their mouth and get them to observe the mouth feel...taste... etc...

Good luck. Taste will win out to any chocoholic.!! Please let us know how it goes for you.

I have been doing chocolate tasting presentations for corporations. In my town I have Bernard Callebaut to compete with! At the presentations we sample different high end chocolate from the different trees..Arriba, Criollo, forestero and I don't have trinitario yet! I am able to soft sell myself through the presentation as I explain many of the different aspects of chocolate and as to why my moulded chocolate is so special!! many of my customers tell me my chocolate is better than Bernard's and I take that as huge complement and I am absolutely anal as to what I use for ingrediants. No compromise!!

[nduran]

Plain old melted chocolate is perfectly fine for some things. Just because tempering is more difficult doesn't make your pieces automatically superior. If I were dipping biscotti or pretzels or something I'd prefer it if the coatings were soft so it didn't flake off or break my teeth.

[Kerry Beal]

Plain old melted chocolate is perfectly fine for some things. Just because tempering is more difficult doesn't make your pieces automatically superior. If I were dipping biscotti or pretzels or something I'd prefer it if the coatings were soft so it didn't flake off or break my teeth.

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Trouble is if it isn't tempered it might be streaky and less attractive looking. If you want that nice soft melty chocolate, add 2 to 4 % clarified butter to your chocolate before tempering.

[nduran]

Trouble is if it isn't tempered it might be streaky and less attractive looking.  If you want that nice soft melty chocolate, add 2 to 4 % clarified butter to your chocolate before tempering.

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I've honestly never seen that happen. I did get some very curious little speckled patterns in melted white chocolate when I mixed in some fresh grated nutmeg and the oil leeched out of it as it cooled, but it was actually kind of neat and made it look like holiday snow (which was fine since it was around Christmas anyway).

[JeanneCake]

Plain old melted chocolate is perfectly fine for some things. Just because tempering is more difficult doesn't make your pieces automatically superior. If I were dipping biscotti or pretzels or something I'd prefer it if the coatings were soft so it didn't flake off or break my teeth.

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Trouble is if it isn't tempered it might be streaky and less attractive looking. If you want that nice soft melty chocolate, add 2 to 4 % clarified butter to your chocolate before tempering.

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That's exactly what can happen over time. My first experience dipping gingerbread cookies, I used my regular Schokinag bittersweet, and it looked great for the first 24 hours. The next day, it was very streaky and very unattractive; a chef I'd sold some to sent a few of the worst looking ones back and they looked pretty awful.

Your mileage will vary. Use what works for you and holds up best over time.

[plk]

It happens, pretty much inevitably if your chocolate comes out of temper. I dipped some marshmallows (made with the fantastic recipe on recipegullet) in chocolate that I thought I'd tempered correctly, and they looked great ... for about a day. Then they started turning grey. I've never been able to do it right, so I for one really appreciate the skill involved.

Also, I think that the people who will pay for an upscale gym's membership would definitely be attracted to upscale chocolates.