What have I let myself in for?

Last night I created two quite beautiful cheesecakes to trial at Bertie & Boo's coffee shop in Balham. When I got on the bus this morning with my big white cake box, the lady I sat down next to asked me what I had in there. When I showed her, she let out an 'Oooooohh...' and asked if she could take my card because a friend of her's owns a cafe on Clapham High Street. I gave her a spare copy of my menu that I happened to have with me and she wished me well and got off at the next stop. Bless her!

Sadly when I rocked up at Bertie & Boo I was told they couldn't stock them after all, because they don't have refrigerated cabinets on the shop floor. Clearly the staff I spoke to there last week were telling me porky pies. Grr. So I headed instead to the Fat Delicatessen, who were also interested last week, only to be cordially turned away by the owner who told me they made everything in house. Grr again. 

So on I plodded to a little coffee shop (whose name escapes me) next to Balham tube station which I hadn't approached before. I asked the lass behind the counter if she'd like a blueberry & white chocolate cheesecake. She clearly thought I was a bit mad but upon realising I wasn't, she looked at me as though  I'd just handed over a free Mulberry handbag. I do like to make people's mornings..... and if she raves to her boss about it as she promised, I could (could) have another stockist.

One cheesecake still to dispense of, I took the Mango cheesecake to meet Ahmed who owns the Nightingale Cafe on Balham High Road. Ahmed told me last week he doesn't sell  many cheesecakes - it's more a cafe-restaurant than a coffee shop  - but said vaguely that he might be okay with me dropping in a sample. 

After seeing the goods this morning, he said: 'I like the look of that and I like you. You have good energy. Can you bring me in three more on Friday?'

Yes I can, Ahmed.

'I'd like a discount for those three,' he said, 'but if it goes well I'll pay you full price after that and feature you on my website as our cheesecake lady. I did that for another small cake-making business once and now they turn over £50k a year.'

So there you go! Nothing might come of it; and there really are only so many cheesecakes I can make before I risk starting to resent them.  But I had a fun morning.