Sara Mitchell is owner of Poulet Bonne Femme, which sells rotisserie-cooked Irish meats at concessions in Avoca stores.
What distinguishes your business from competitors?
Poulet Bonne Femme are the only people who rotisserie classic Irish cuts of meat in a retail environment in Ireland. We're roasting meat there in front of the customer, taking it off the spit in front of the customer, carving it in front of the customer, and either selling it whole or putting it on the best quality bread we can find with all the accompaniments.
What sets your products apart in your sector?
All our meat is Irish and free range where possible. We place a great emphasis on the quality and the cut and the provenance of the meat. A lot of our customers will say to us that the taste of our chicken or our beef or our lamb reminds them of what they would eat when they were young.
What's been the biggest challenge you have had to face?
We started in markets and the first Christmas we set up, in 2009, there was loads of snow. It was the last market of the Christmas holidays and we'd ordered in all our chickens and we had to cook all of these chickens or they would just go off. But the market wasn't on. So we had to text all our customers and just drive around Dublin delivering the chickens in the snow with the baby in the back. Really the beginning was the hardest; it's just so much easier now.
And your major success to date?
I think it has to be opening our second and third stores. When you think back to what I've just described, that wasn't that long ago. And now we have three shops and there are 15 of us working in those three shops.
What's the biggest mistake you've made in business?
We invested a lot of capital into a permanent indoor market in Ranelagh a few years ago and we thought we could scale through the markets. But it closed down. Having said that, we were able to take all those fixed assets out of that market and put it in a second trailer and grow the catering side of our business. It's hard to say they're mistakes because you learn so much from them.
What was the best piece of business advice you've ever received?
Availability, affability and ability, in that order. My dad told it to me when we were only a couple of weeks open and we've stuck to it. Like that example with the snow and the trailer; if you're available, people will buy.
Who do you most admire in business and why?
In the food business you come across a lot of small Irish producers who are working so hard and making such sacrifices. A lot of them are becoming internationally recognised like Keogh's and Green Saffron; I think it's great. Also Avoca, who started with a small mill and a coffee shop and who have become one of the most recognised Irish brands around. I often find myself wondering what they would do in this situation when I'm trying to make a decision.
What piece of advice would you give to the Government to stimulate the economy?
Well I can't ignore the 9 per cent VAT, which was retained in the last budget. I think it's really important to keep that, obviously for food tourism but also for jobs. There's hardly any margin in the food business as it is, so I think any change would mean job losses, which would be hugely unfortunate in such a growing market.
Do you think the banks are open for business at the moment?
In my experience they're open for business, but with heavy personal guarantees and high interest rates. We've been lucky in that we've been able to grow organically so I haven't had to deal with them so much, but every time I ask for anything, it's with heavy personal guarantees, which isn't really viable for businesses.
How do you see the short- term future for your business?
We are planning to expand our current concession model and we're also working on developing a range of Irish meat products for supermarkets from what we do in our rotisserie.
How much is your business worth and would you sell it?
I'm not sure how much it's worth. At the moment I see so much opportunity for the future that it would be a shame to sell it now. I'm not emotional about it; it wouldn't feel like I couldn't let it go. But I'm enjoying it and there's too much left to be done.
In conversation with Joanna Roberts
