With just a few weeks left in 2024, we're taking a short break to regroup, recharge, and start planning for a truly exciting lineup of events for next year. This pause is the perfect time to reflect on the incredible ride we’ve had so far and the unexpected lessons we learned about balancing creativity with logistics, staying motivated, and, of course, the art of transporting a lot of cabbage.
Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at some of the big challenges we faced (and conquered) this year, and a few insights on making it through those tough, marathon-like days in the world of culinary experience design.
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Challenge #1: Logistics on steroids
Hosting culinary classes might sound like it’s all about cooking, but trust us, there's a mountain of prep that goes into each session.
Take, for instance, our summer camp fermentation class: A standout experience that required over 35kg of Chinese cabbages and 20kg of other utensils! Yes, you read that right: 35kg of cabbage.
While we could’ve never predicted how many hilarious looks we’d get lugging crates of cabbages and jars across town, that session also showed us the lengths we’ll go to make each event unforgettable.
And while we laugh about it now, each class’s prep requires careful planning to ensure smooth execution. We fine-tuned our logistics process to a science, juggling everything from ingredient prep to transportation, and it paid off.
Participant feedback hit an all-time high this year, with a CSAT (Customer Satisfaction) score of over 95%. Seeing the satisfaction on people’s faces was the ultimate reward for all the cabbage-hauling and extra hours spent planning.
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Challenge #2:
Making social media work (and finding the fun in It!)
Social media has been both a blessing and a trial-by-fire learning experience. Growing our community online has been one of our key focuses, especially since our audience is full of people who value authenticity and connection.
When we kicked off this year, we had around 180 followers; now, thanks to consistent posting, storytelling, and engagement, we've grown by more than 175%!
Learning to create engaging content, including reels that make people smile (and hit the like button), became part of our weekly routine.
Despite the occasional struggle to come up with ideas, social media proved to be a powerful way to stay connected to everyone who loves what we do. Seeing comments from people who tell us how our journey from tech to culinary has inspired them to step out of their comfort zones is deeply fulfilling.
We’ve lost count of how many times people told us we were “brave” to make the jump into the culinary world, and while “brave” might sometimes translate to “a bit overwhelmed,” we wouldn’t trade it for anything.
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Challenge #3:
Managing the numbers (because bookkeeping never ends)
Balancing the books is something we didn’t realise would consume so much time. Keeping track of each transaction, balancing income with expenses, and making sure we’re on top of invoicing and taxes - it was a bit of a wake-up call. But we kept at it and set up a solid bookkeeping system that’s helped us keep track of finances with far less stress.
Incoming bookings this year also hit new levels, with a 90% booking success rate and many of you booking repeat sessions. This growth means so much to us, as it reflects how much you value the experiences we’ve crafted, and it’s more than worth the hours spent poring over spreadsheets. On those late nights managing finances, remembering this kept us going and made it all feel worthwhile.
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Challenge #4:
Staying motivated through summer lows
Ah, summer - a time of sun, relaxation, and… well, noticeably slower bookings.
As someone in the food experience industry, summer months can be a tough period to keep motivation high, especially when class numbers drop. But instead of letting it get us down, we took advantage of the quieter season to explore new concepts, fine-tune our branding, and develop ideas for the coming months.
We were also lucky to receive tons of positive feedback. Reading how much our classes meant to you and how many people were eager to return after the summer gave us the boost we needed to push forward. Plus, our social media kept growing even during the slower times, a testament to the loyal and engaged community that believes in us, and we couldn’t be more grateful!
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Challenge #5:
Creating memorable, meaningful experiences
For us, it's all about crafting experiences that go beyond cooking. From immersive setups to curated class themes, each detail is a chance to create something unique and lasting. Our design background gave us a leg up here - transforming spaces, arranging décor, and making each class visually inviting. And the feedback showed us we’re on the right track. With over 95% of participants rating their experience as excellent, we feel incredibly validated in the care and thought we put into each event.
It’s been heartwarming to see so many new faces alongside familiar ones this year. Many participants came back to try new classes or bring along friends, and that sense of community is exactly why we started.
Your encouragement, positivity, and trust have been everything to us.
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Looking Forward to 2025 - and seeing more of YOU there!
As we wind down for the year, taking some well-deserved time off to plan and rest, we’re incredibly excited about what’s coming next.
We’re already brainstorming ways to make 2025 even better with fresh, inspiring classes and tours that will surprise and delight you.
We’re endlessly grateful for everyone who’s been part of this journey - whether you joined a class, cheered us on from social media, or returned for a second (or third) round.
Your belief in our vision keeps us going, and we can’t wait to see even more new and familiar faces next year.
Here’s to more cabbage hauls, laughter, and unforgettable moments in 2025!