Thursday, February 23, 2017

FOREST HILL STALLHOLDER PROFILE FOR THE CHILLI PATCH

Stallholder Profile for The Chilli Patch
https://www.facebook.com/thechillipatch/ 


Your name: Debbie Aitcheson


Your Business name and Facebook link: The Chilli Patch, https://www.facebook.com/thechillipatch/

The suburb/town you live in now: Minden

What is it that you make and what skills do you use? We grow from seed all our potted herbs, chillies and salad greens. Paul hand makes timber products such as bird feeders, bug hotels, boxes and crates, chalkboards and egg carriers.

What inspired you to start your business? A friend said to us in 1999 that no one was growing Chilli plants in the horticulture industry so we started and haven’t looked back. We love it.




How long have you been ‘creating’? Our business started in 1999 as we wanted to start a family and working from home was a way to do it.

Is it a full time/ part time/hobby or business? It’s a full time business and has taken us a long time to get to this. One of us has generally worked in a part or full time job but it always put too much pressure on the person trying to cope with the business. It’s really a two person or more job.

Where do you sell your creations?: We do the markets all weekend around Toowoomba, Mulgowie and Forest Hill and also have timber trolleys that Paul has created in shops around Brisbane. We drive and fill the herb trolleys each Thursday so they are fresh every week.

What makes what you so special or different? We rotate the plants in the trolleys so the stock always looks good. The timber Paul makes our products from is a rough sawn pine and we source it locally from a timber sawmill. It looks rustic. 




What is the most rewarding part of what you do? Having our customers come back and letting us know there plants are thriving and they can’t believe how fantastic they are growing. Also the bird feeders are working beautifully. The customer has kept the birds happy by having it in their yard.

What is your favourite product that you make? Our bug hotels. Paul creates them with whatever he can. They are something special that has won our customers hearts and their bugs too.


Do you teach classes or workshops? Yes I (Deb) go to Garden Clubs and talk about Herbs - how people can grow and use them in culinary cooking. I also talk about harvesting herbs and chillies, recycling with herbs, companion planting and soap making.

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