Sweet thoughts

Analyse your sales: Constantly assess your product offering. Pay attention to what sells well and adapt these for Valentine’s Day specials

Your market: Identify who your typical customers are (office workers, ‘grey’ market, school kids). What do or do they not like? What can you do to appeal to this market?

Staff: Train and incentivise your staff to be in a position to promote the seasonal specials

Personalise: Cookies and muffins can be iced in-store on demand to increase impact

Differentiate: Create Valentine’s lines with added sensory experience using gourmet fillings and toppings, indulgent flavour combinations and a high-quality appearance. Half strawberries dipped in chocolate make an indulgent decoration on muffins and cakes

Add value: Getting creative will add value and visual appeal, you can use inexpensive Valentine’s-themed sugar plaques, ribbons and packaging to make bakery lines extra special

Presentation: Make up some Valentine’s Day gift baskets that will command a premium

Signs: Signs have been shown to increase sales by up to 49%. Use words such as ‘mouth-watering’, ‘freshly baked’, ‘moist’ and ‘delicious’ to tempt people to buy

Novelty shapes: Frogs, lips, hearts and flowers create a point of difference.

Bag a heart Mini Brownie Bites recipe

Add 130g vegetable oil to 1kg Chocolate Mississippi Cake/Muffin Mix. Mix for 30 seconds on 1st speed, add 290g water and 140g of sugar and mix for one minute on 1st speed

Scrape down and mix for a further one minute on 1st speed. Fold in chocolate chips, as required

Scale as required and spread batter flat. Bake at 180°C (360°F) for 35 minutes

Once cool, cut into squares or hearts and decorate

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