The latest showdown of the Footprint Apprentice Challenges took place this last Saturday at Blues and Rock in the Garden – Colchester’s best (and apparently booziest) garden party. This time the ‘Sun Bears’ took on the ‘Hungry Hippos’ in a battle of nachos vs chocolate covered bananas, as the two teams were tasked with producing and branding a food stall to set up at the event – all profits going to charity!
Organised by Tom B’s parents and with proceeds going towards the charity Building Malawi, as well as St Helena Hospice, Blues and Rock in the Garden celebrates a truly eclectic mix of local musical acts. With plenty of delicious food, fantastic bands, and beer by the watering can (literally), a wonderful time was had by all – especially our own Dave, who drummed and sang for the headline act!
The challenge started with a coin toss between team captains Hannah and Bailey, a choice between making a snack or a dessert on the line. ‘Sun Bears’’ champion Hannah won, taking the snack, leaving the ‘Hungry Hippos’ with their ‘just desserts.’
The Big Day
‘Sun Bears’ had worked hard on ‘Nacho Snack’, a brightly decorated stall with a nacho wearing a sombrero as a logo. The team sold their Nachos in polystyrene containers, along with a choice of cheese, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.
‘Hungry Hippos’ arrived three hours early to prepare their stall and desserts. Their chosen produce was chocolate covered bananas and strawberries on a stick – a delicious (if slightly questionable looking) product which certainly brought the crowds! Their stall was brilliantly branded and decorated, with banana balloons and some well-designed signs helping them stand out.
Both teams were given a maximum of ninety minutes over the afternoon and evening to sell their products.
‘Sun Bears’ cracked on early, taking advantage of the afternoon sun. Adorned with sombreros, the team sold Nachos from their stand and from a highly popular tray which they carried around the audience. The main attraction for ‘Sun Bears’ however was the industrial blow torch they used to melt the cheese – although complaints of un-melted cheese showed that not everyone was convinced.
‘Hungry Hippos’ had to wait for their chocolate to set in the freezer, and set off in the early evening. Their bananas certainly attracted a lot of attention, with many eyebrows raised at the impressive silhouette of their chocolate creations. The team was short-handed, but Tom and Thomas the remaining members worked tirelessly to hawk as many as they could. Feedback for the team found that their bananas were delicious, but perhaps they tasted better than they looked!
The Results
Sportsmanlike behaviour had dominated the afternoon, but neither team could forget that this was a competition, judged on customer feedback, branding, and money made. Customer feedback for both teams was mostly good, and both stands were branded excellently, making the profit the deciding factor.
‘Hungry Hippos’ sold a tidy 115 units of bananas, and turned a good profit of £62.50. However, ‘Sun Bears’ had sold a whopping 150 units of Nachos, and made a total profit of £115, meaning they were the winners!
It really was a great evening, and everyone at Footprint is proud of their teams’ effort. We also made a total profit of £177.50, all of which will go towards the charity Building Malawi!
