The Yummy Yank-The meaning of the business

With this being my first blog, let me explain the meaning of the name The Yummy Yank.  It's really pretty simple and I thought a catchy name for my venture.

I am an American living in the UK, Yorkshire to be exact.  I have been here for 14 years now and a few years back began doing my local farmer's market, selling my homemade American desserts.  This is the self explanatory part of the business name.  I am a Yank by every definition and I sell Yummy desserts!

The other sentiment to my name is just that, sentimental.  My father's nickname was Yummy and his twin brother's nickname was Yankee.  I can't think of a better tribute to their memories than to have a business named after them, especially a business as delicious as this one!

When my village announced they were going to have a farmer's market, I thought what fun it would be to take part.  It was right up the road which would make it easy to get to and for the most part it would be people I already know.  It's really a win/win situation.  Nobody who knows me would be able to criticise my baking to my face, essentially everyone would have to be polite.  After all, I live in the village.

I started on market number 2 and it was bustling.  There were so many stall holders and I loved the camaraderie of it all.  I made cakes, cheesecakes, bars of all sorts, brownies, cookies, homemade granola, you name it.  I sold everything by the slice and bar.  Granola and cookies I had pre-bagged.  It was such a buzz!  People loved my desserts and bought them!  I actually made money and had a good time doing it. 

I always said that this would be my only farmer's market because I love to bake and I didn't want to lose the passion of my hobby that I find so relaxing.  So for 2 years, I stuck to my guns and this was in fact the only farmer's market I did.  It was enough, I baked for a week leading up to the market and was all ready for the second Saturday of every month.  Until the market got quieter and quieter.

It was either a matter of stopping and not wasting my time because so many stall holders stopped coming or take up an invitation I received to be part of another farmer's market on the second Sunday of every month, the day after the one I was already doing.  It sort of was a no brainer.

I started doing the Burley market several months ago and I am having a blast!  It is busy, has about 40 some vendors and people love, love, love my desserts.  It is outdoors, where my local one is indoors and I adore being in the freezing cold first thing in the morning.  We set up our stall supplied to us by a farmer from North Yorkshire at about 7am and put out my goods, ready for the onslaught of customers.  What better ego boost is there than people queuing up to buy something you made by hand and raving about it?  I nearly sold out and I got several orders as well.  It was amazing!

The organiser of this market also organises others and told me that he had never heard so many people rave about a seller on their first day as they did with my desserts.  Imagine the size of my head!!  He asked me to do another market on the last Sunday of the month in Otley, which has 50 some stalls and has a waiting list of a couple of years to take part!  And here I was asked to take part after just one time at Burley!  I was so honoured!  Of course I said YES!!!  I couldn't do October and I couldn't do November because it was American Thanksgiving and I always make Thanksgiving dinner over here, but I did take part in the Christmas market.  Other vendors told me I may not be as busy the first month as in subsequent months because customers have to get to know me and my products.  Fair enough really!  However, I was packed and had a wonderful day.  I nearly sold out!  So if my first Otley market was slower, I really look forward to this month and all of the ones to follow!  Even the sub zero temperatures and numb fingers didn't put a damper on the morning!  I was dressed to look like the Michelin Man, 5 layers at the top and 4 layers at the bottom and I was ready to rock and roll!

So there you have it, what started as just something fun to do once a month, has now turned into a business.  I bake constantly these days and I am still loving it!  I now want to take my business further and branch out.  Eventually there will be a cookbook in the oven and I now think I have a chance of people actually buying it.  I want to do more and more!  It's hard work, but it is so rewarding!  There is nothing better than watching faces light up when they come to my stall!  Imagine a child in a candy shop, that is what it is like when people visit The Yummy Yank and there is no better feeling than making someone smile!

Thanks for reading and I hope you follow my blog!  It will follow the adventures of The Yummy Yank hopefully one day becoming a household name!

Have a nice day Y'all!
Lisa AKA The Yummy Yank