Saturday, October 22, 2011

irresponsible blogger.

Hi!

Remember when I used to post every couple of days? The times... they are a changin'. I have been dedicating some time towards other worthy activities, but here is a Zimt update:


  • I just finished entering all of my receipts for year end. Wow- I spent a lot of money! ... its an investment. 
  • Finished and handed in Whole Foods application! Yes!  Apparently it will take a while before Zimt is on the shelves because *insert insider information here*. Well,  they have a lot to sift through.  ... I guess. But it should be in by the end of November? (I also don't know what trick-or-treators are going to do this year! =( ) 
  • There's a deal going on: Grooster-  I don't know how well this is going to do, but I do know that I made over 250 chocolate bars for it! 
  • New labels! And they look so amazing I really wish I had taken a picture for you all with my inferior BlackBerry.  There's a story behind them, of course: Sabrina, my friend who moved here from Germany and who I have heard say, not once, not twice, but maybe three or four times now: "Your chocolate is the best chocolate in the world. It just is." *slight German accent included*, designed them. They are now colour coded, have boring English names, and are very pretty. They are also now stickers, so I won't be using my eco-friendly glue anymore. (YES.) Based on a small experiment, the labels take approximately 30 seconds to apply, by hand. That's a big improvement from the eco glue ones, which, labour costs considered, should have shot the price of a bar up to about $15 a pop. =) 
  • Labels are still eco-friendly! I made sure of that when I went to get them printed. The printing guy specialist was a little apprehensive about using the eco-toner machine, but I said it would be fine. I also met a dog at the printing company named Kila (like Kilobyte, but... not exactly.). I really like it when businesses allow employee's pets/children around. Reminds me of growing up, because my grandparents allowed my mom to bring her children to the office of our family business.   
  • Big news. Sad news (?). But very important.  40% of the Zimt Artisan Chocolates 'Bar' line will be unavailable temporarily. These are the three types of Ganache (Mint, Orange, plain ol' Chocolate) and the Vanilla Caramel (I am so sorry!).  I cannot guarantee a product of consistently high quality from these lines, so I will not be offering them for the time being. I am really, really sorry, because I know that these were some of the favourites.  ... maybe buy them while they are still on shelves? I am working on sorting out the situation and bringing you these bars again, but I do not know how long that will take.
  • I love the peppermint nib bar. 
  • The Zimt 1-877 number works! I switched carriers. Please don't call it, as it costs me money, and all the information is already available online. And if you really want to hear my voice, just call my cell or speak with me in real life.
  • My prof wants to work with me on my business plan! Amazing- I am very grateful.

<3,

emma

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

I will keep my day job.

Hi,

This is a bit of what the past 9 days have been like-


  • I am contracting out to have some equipment built to make the filling-making-process less ridiculous. My goal is quite simple: make more in a shorter amount of time- very common for most businesses involved in production.... but... the twist! Everything must remain hand-made. =) So I won't just be pressing a button and- bam- fillings. Not quite, no. I will keep you posted on any developments. I think I will go pick up some preliminary equipment right now, to test things out tomorrow in the kitch.
  • Going to class- this is a business class specific to small scale food and beverage production (I think.). Anyway, I love the accounting and finance bits =) My favourites. Year end is coming up fast and I am looking forward to some pretty intense Excel Parties. I know I've already learned a lot of what is being taught (way back in the day. Maybe in second year accounting.), but I take it on a completely different level now, because everything I read, I ask myself if and how it applies to Zimt. Applicable! 
  • Vancouver Eco Fashion Week- it happened! And I was fortunate enough to be a model in two shows- one was for Sofia and the other was for Anna Talbot - both very talented designers. And they both went so incredibly well- modelling is a lot easier than chocolate-company-owning sometimes. And I am sure I can incorporate Excel Parties into a modelling career, too. Anyway, this was really exciting: so, the make-up artist I was working with on the first night of the show and I got to talking and I said I would bring her a choco, as she was really interested in how Zimt is so different (...and maaaaybe just wanted chocolate?). Plus, she said she hadn't anything to eat all day, and that really made me feel badly since I had been eating chocolate all day (that is the norm, fyi- all models do that before shows.). So, I brought her a chocolate (a Peppermint Square, available at Indigo Food Cafe) and she tried it asap and was so enthusiastic about it, that she didn't even finish it before telling me that it was the best chocolate that she ever had and do I have a business card and she wants to order some for her family for Christmas. =) . That's nice! So I really do need to get proper truffle boxes made now. And the candy cup saga continues... from last year, still, yikes! 
  • 1. Ask Jordan about truffle boxes. Again.
  • 2. Find eco-friendly candy cups.
  • Also, I think I have nearly completed my Whole Foods application- hurraaaaaayfinally.
  • A store on Hastings... which sells organic products and many chocolate varieties... I have heard through the grapevine (aka- my mom mentioned Zimt to the owner- thanks, Mom =) ), really wants to get some Zimt in store. Could be great. So I will go meet him on Friday before the vegan bake sale hosted by Nice Shoes for Farm Sanctuary's annual Walk for Farm Animals, to drop off some Zimt Bites (... as the individual chocolates are now called. Copyrightcopyright.). Anyway, I suggest checking out the bake sale- it will be from 6pm until 8pm on Friday, October 14th and you can get delicious vegan baked goods there (at Nice Shoes on Fraser and 19th Avenue). Oh, and by the way.... I wore some Nice Shoes down the catwalk- check- really comfy and perfect for everyday use. Wear them as slippers around the house. =) 
  • ... I delivered more chocolate bars to Greens- go get them, they are delicious and made with love.
  • I really must leave the library and go get some kitchen equipment. Thank you for reading!

Emma


PS- Look! It is me- with fun make-up on from the first show- I realized at almost midnight that I needed to take pictures of me and the chocolate to send into the newspaper at Sauder. And then I found Photo Booth and got all distracted.  I am sure they will be proud of this recent graduate- who wouldn't be?!


Sunday, October 2, 2011

Superfast!

Hi!

Update:

1. Dreena Burton of vivelevegan.blogspot.com was so kind as to feature me on her blog for an interview! Thank you very much, Dreena! You should definitely purchase her cookbooks as well- every recipe she has compiled is amazing- special mention to the cookies- yummmm!

2.  Earthsave Canada's Taste of Health, their annual veg lifestyle fest, is tomorrow! It is from 11:30 am until 6 pm- more info here! I have 173 chocolate bars ready for you all- including 24 Vanilla Caramel bars (apparently you love them!- thank you =) ).

3. I gave my former employer chocolate today. I walked in on their meeting and just... gave them chocolate, as is my custom. I had not told them about Zimt, but they used their spidey-senses and found out, somehow (... maybe because they saw it at Greens, I don't know.). Anyway, they ate it right then and there, because all are powerless to the chocolate (it isn't a bad thing.) and approved of it. Thank you very much. So that's that- months and months of worrying about things are all done. I don't know why I did.

4. There are also 83 small chocolates available tomorrow: Sweet Orange Nib Hearts (I had one as part of breakfast dessert- very good!), Kaffee Kubes (klassy), Peppermint Nib Squares (they are the largest of the four), Coconut Domes (I like these as well).


=)

emma