Summer has now ended and Autumn heralds not just a change in seasons…
but a big change in the world of Glüh-Brew. From small beginnings in my Blue Mountains home to bigger production with a Marrickville contract manufacturer I have nurtured my innovative main products with great care over the past 6 years, as well as creating delicious side products to avoid wastage and maximise ingredient usage. I have applied stringent quality control at all levels and, despite the financial advantages of using imported ingredients and/or “flavours” instead of the real thing, have insisted on using 99% Australian grown ingredients (we don’t grow the required spices here). I am so proud to have brought this beautiful product to the market knowing, when I’m selling it to customers, that it is 100% the type of product that I, myself, would buy and that it is 100% Australian owned and made. I might be biased, but I genuinely believe that my products have provided customers with the best version of mulled wine and sangria available on the market in Australia today and which can be tailored to their own, personal palate.
The “cost of living crisis”….
has hit my door, with my contract manufacturer raising their prices by a huge 47% in an effort to push me to committing to a larger batch size. Whilst the unit price is cheaper in the larger batch size, this “saving” – which isn’t actually a saving, it’s actually still a price increase, just not as much as 47% – is offset by requiring pallet transport and pallet storage and is actually even more expensive. So having searched extensively for another manufacturer who would fit the bill and having done the numbers, I have had to face the fact that, in the current climate, Glüh-Brew will have to wind down business.
I somehow have the feeling that things are not completely over for Glüh-Brew…
but right now I can’t tell if that’s because, as a micro business owner, I have invested so much time and energy of both the physical and emotional kind that using the words “permanently cease trading” is too confronting. Whatever the case, I would prefer to think of it as a “pause” in the hope that a manageable solution might be found. If not, I guess there will have been enough time to acclimatise to the use of the above-mentioned (currently unutterable) words.
So, back to the point – March market dates…
I have only three remaining markets to attend and they are as follows:
Sunday March 16 – Orange Rotary Markets, Orange Showgrounds, 9am-2pm
Saturday March 22 – Bathurst Farmers’ Markets, Bathurst Showgrounds (indoor pavillion), 8am- 12pm
Sunday March 23 – Coal Loader Markets, the Coal Loader in Waverton, 9am-3pm (worth visiting just for the view)
After that I will continue to sell remaining stock through the online shop until sold out. Sangria Syrup is readily available but Glüh-Brew syrup is in short supply due to the fact that I have only been making very small batches at home in order to cater for market stalls.
So, dear Customers…
Watch this space for any updates and if you have any ideas about who could manufacture my products or supply lines of distribution that would allow me to make larger batches without having to organise storage, please contact me through the online form on this website. As I mentioned in the pop-up on my home page, I thank you all so very much for your support. The wonderful feedback you have given me at markets and by email has kept me going over the years. Without you I would never have been able to get this project properly off the ground, and even if it now means experiencing the sadness of shutting up shop, the joy of bringing a little treat into your lives has made it so worthwhile.
Cheers! and with warm regards,
Karin 🙂
