2021 has been a game of snakes and ladders. We’ve rolled the dice and taken so many steps forward but still lots to do.
The ladders
We’ve grown our team. This time last year it was just myself (Sarah) and Rich. Now we are a team of 5. It’s been a pleasure welcoming Sarah, Alasdair and Amy into our world, as well as working with experts like to extend our reach, open our mind and refine our purpose.
We’ve been working with the diligent and intelligent team at Virgate Accounts - our one tip for any small business is to get a good accountant. They’ve helped us get ready and get fully funded to open a restaurant of our own. We are looking to open Flat Earth (pizzas and beyond!) in 2022.
We’ve strengthened our offer. There is a relentlessness for dough perfection that I’ve seen in @bakeronaboat that can’t be rivalled by anyone else. If you haven’t eaten with us for a while you need to come down.
We introduced 5 menu changes in line with the micro seasons, launching over 20 brand new pizzas, whilst raising money for Crisis at Christmas, Tree Musketeers, and Choose Love. We’ve sourced as locally as possible getting aubergines, beets and squash from Enfield, plums from Hackney and cheese from Somerset.
We launched our make-at-home Kimchi Kit in a bid to demystify fermentation and help encourage healthy guts all over the uk.
We were finalists (top 16 of over 100 entries) at #NationalPizzaAwards and we continue to partake in a development programme called Future of Food. Both thrilling and we’re grateful to have been selected.
We’ve made lots of new friends: @dabbadrop @themodernpreserver @topuptruck @flavourfred @chatsworthbakehouse @bitetwicepizzareviews @pizzagram_ldn @reduction_raider1
And new suppliers: @fortyhallfarm @positivebakes, @wildfarmed @iamnutok @tm_hackney @northern_bloc
To all our old friends: @railwaytavernn16 @gilchesters @theartyvegan @clubcultured @lovelybuns @holypizzauk @cheesemerchants @tedsveg @londonpopups … plus many more.
Now for the snakes :
Naturally Covid remains an ongoing hazard but we won’t bore you with that. We all know what’s going on
Sites we’ve been excited about have fallen through. Sometimes it feels like we’re hitting a brick wall as these past 2 years haven’t been as accelerated as we would have liked. Must remember there’s a pandemic and be kind to ourselves.
December sales were a quarter of what they were the year before due to people laying low pre-family Xmas.
Learning how to communicate effectively between the two of us. Being with someone in a personal and professional relationship is in equal parts wonderful / challenging.
Plans for 2022 in a nutshell:
Open a restaurant Flat Earth 2.0.
Grow our team
Measure our impact through carbon and health metrics and report on it transparently
Sarah’s doing her WSET so that when we do have our own site, we can make sure our natural wines are on point
Continual learning and development
More reels for Instagram!