As you know, we’ve been competing in a contest for one of several Hobart Mixers, given away by a site called Get Back To Scratch! First place is a 60 or 80 Quart Mixer, 2nd is a 12 Qt. and 3rd is a 5Qt. The contest has been going on for three months (in case you missed the rest of the summer), and at first we were eating, breathing, and sleeping CONTEST. The first prize IS a $30,000 mixer, after all; a piece of equipment Sugar Tooth may never be able to afford.
As a one-woman (mostly) show, it got to be a lot of work to promote and harass my customers and friends daily, as well as to obsess over the contest. I don’t have the money (nor does Sugar Tooth itself) to give away products all the time as an incentive to get people to vote. Nor would I feel comfortable doing so. If I win anything at all in life, I want it to be because my products are amazing, my customers support me, and because I worked super hard for it. (Which is NOT to imply that give-aways or other incentives necessarily implies the opposite of any of those for someone else. It is merely my personal philosophy). Paying the $5-$7k in taxes on the first place prize would also be a feat in itself.
SO….I backed off a little. But even if I win SOMEthing, (last I saw, I was still in 2nd place for the majority of the contest), I will be elated. For a teeny business, who doesn’t even have it’s very own storefront yet, to be competitive in a contest like this is reward enough. It’s a reminder of what I have created with the help of all of you. And of where I’m heading with Sugar Tooth. Which regardless of any contest in the world, is the most important thing to me.
The Get Back to Scratch Movement is also very important to me. Using ingredients I feel good about, and knowing EXACTLY what is in each of my products is of paramount importance to me. I don’t use preservatives, I don’t use ingredients I can’t pronounce, and nothing is partially made when it gets to the bakery. It is all made from scratch, using high quality animal-free ingredients, with more love than you can shake a stick at. And that’s the way it will remain! I’m excited to keep growing, and excited to one day have a space which is ALL mine, to share with you and make into a place you love to be (not just when you’re craving sugar!). I’m excited for the prospect of bringing someone amazing on to help me, and excited to expand product-lines someday! The future is open wide. Yes.
But I digress….Thanks so very much for all of your support, and thanks to Get Back to Scratch and Hobart for giving us (all of the participants) this opportunity! If the contest goes the way I think it will, I am glad that the winner will NOT be a huge corporate bakery, but another company (bigger than Sugar Tooth, but still a small, locally run and owned business in their town) with similar ethics about business. Someone who also wouldn’t be able to buy a SHINY NEW Cadillac of mixers, so who will really be grateful and deserving of the prize, and who will put it to great use!
The winners will be announced Tuesday, September 6th! Can’t wait to find out how it goes! (Stay tuned!)
Hope you’re all having an amazing Summer. In Texas, we’re having insane weather, in the 100’s for weeks, and looking forward to Autumn. (My very very favorite).
Best,
Meghan
Sugar Tooth Bakery
Austin, Texas