No, your eyes are not deceiving you… that is most certainly, definitely, 100% a Baby O’bar.
May is always a chaotic one. It's the time of year when all the groundwork and preparation is put in place to hopefully see the payoff at the end of the year. It's also the time of year (for most chocolate businesses, really) when sales slow for a couple of months, as people opt for ice creams and milkshakes over chocolate, giving us time to focus on all the behind-the-scenes work.
We came back from our holiday and, in true Jamie and Catherine style, our annual SALSA audit the very next day. However, this is the first year I've actually managed to step back and not be involved! Now that we have Annabel on the team, she led the entire audit with flying colours.
For those who don't know what SALSA is, it's basically like Ofsted for food production businesses. It's a globally recognised auditing body that ensures our products are exactly what we say they are, safe for consumption, and fully traceable.
I am so proud to say that this year the team passed the audit with zero minor points. Usually, it’s expected to get a handful of minor points to improve on each year, but our auditor told us we were the first audit he’d completed this year with none at all! A huge achievement and big wins all round.
At the end of April and for the first week of May, Jamie and I actually managed to jet off. We headed to Orlando for a bit of sunshine and some much-needed us time. Although, inevitably, this always leads to big-picture business discussions and new ideas.
What I'd been excited about for way too long, was a trip down Diagon Alley. If you don't know where that is, shame on you - go have a Google.
Harry Potter, like it is for many people, is a happy place for me. Call me childish, call me a wizarding nerd, call me whatever you like. But so much of Catherine's Originals has been inspired by the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and it had been on my list for years to visit the real thing over in Orlando.
The level of detail in every prop, every character, every set is incredible, every poster, actor, building is truly incredible. There is honestly nothing quite like it.
I may or may not have been talked into buying a $30 Every Flavour Beans tin. Call me stupid.
From SALSA, we went straight into four trade shows back-to-back, which involved Jamie, me, a car full of chocolate and a collection of roller banners zooming around the country. This is where we build relationships with key stockists ahead of Christmas. It's where we showcase what will be available this year and get a feel for how Christmas trading might look.
Now we're in the waiting stage…. the anticipation bugs me.
We're currently listed with eight distributors, and throughout June and July they'll be collecting pre-orders from their customers before sending us their POs (purchase orders). It's a waiting game that gives me serious itchy feet.
In May, we also launched our Summer Range, Pistachio O'bars, Raspberry O’bars and our Fruity Summer Selection Box.
Many of you reading this have probably only ever tried our flagship Selection Box, and I'd agree it's probably the stronger all-rounder of the two. That being said, during the summer months, demand for white chocolate and lighter flavours increases, which is exactly why we created the Summer Selection Box in the first place.
It's also been birthday month. Jamie turned 25 and Will — who many of you may remember from the early days, turned 30.
Rest assured, a considerable amount of cake was consumed.
Celebrations included family BBQs, rock climbing, wine tours, picnics, dinners out and, of course, plenty of cuddles on the sofa with Jamie and our cat, Lewis Nigel.
We ended the month with our first-ever team presentation-style meeting, which you may have already read about.
Despite my nervous butterflies — which is ridiculous when I speak to the team every single day — I think (and hope) the presentation went well
Nothing fancy or overly corporate. Just funny photos of Jamie shamelessly edited by me on Canva, some key company facts and goals, and everyone's responsibilities simplified. The intention wasn't to overcomplicate things, but to keep everyone aligned and moving in the same direction.
The simpler, the better. That's always been how I like to work.
We've made a small change and added a Little Love Box. With Father's Day coming up this month, and so many of you asking for it to become a year-round product, we've launched a handful more!
If they sell quickly (as we imagine they will), we may just have to make them a permanent fixture on the website. But who knows.
Catch up soon.
Stay sweet, Choco Lovers!
Catherine