Ultimate Plum Pudding Company - anyone done a PTA fundraiser with these people?

[Londonista]

Hi I'm considering volunteering to do a fundraiser for the school with these people, it looks like you make around a couple of quid per pudding sold. You can personalise the labels - I'm told the puddings themselves are quite nice. We aren't a huge school but I think we could make £500 or so. Am worried it's going to be a massive ball-ache in December when I am usually already quite busy. Anyone had any experience of it?
Cheers

[user1472662726]

We did similar a few years back.i don't know if it was the same company but it was the same idea. We let people pre order or buy at the fete on the day. My feeling was that it wasn't a great money spinner... Alot of people seemed quite set in where they get their pud, or maybe family make them
. Also, to buy at the fete is quite alot to spend on an impulse buy....about 15 pounds. We didn't do it again

[PatriciaHolm]

Our experience was the same at the precious poster. We didn't make anything like £500 and we are a big school. Lots of people seemed to already have their own traditions.

[Londonista]

Ah yes okay thanks. We're a very diverse london school, so I was thinking maybe us time-poor parents might go for it. Bit worried we are going to get stuck with loads, even if we allow pre-ordering. I wonder if I approach a local bakery they might be interested.
Probably a Christmas raffle will raise more money, but I feel like I'm always going on the scrounge to local businesses for prizes.

[sirfredfredgeorge]

You're not a large school but you reckon you can sell 250 plum puddings? I cannot imagine it at all, I think our average sized diverse london school would struggle to sell 25 I'd guess. I can't imagine it's worth the investment in time required to enable the pre-ordering, and the associated risk with knowing how many to buy makes it unreasonable.

I can see it's good marketing for the company though, basically just a good MLM scheme for them. So a local bakery might go for it, which would maybe help reduce the risk and hassle.

[ShelaghTurner]

We're doing them this year. Apparently they had them at a school christmas shopping morning last year and they sold well so this year they've stuck order forms in bags. PTA are expecting a good result it seems.

[ShelaghTurner]

Ours are selling for £6-£8 each - plum, double choc and sticky toffee (which was the best seller last year)

[Londonista]

SirFred yes, I would need to sell 250 I guess. I am thinking people will by 2 or 3! (are you liking my optimism there??) Maybe doing a test run with a couple of cartons after school in early december would be a good place to start, like you've done Shelagh.
It is starting to feel like doing it the hard way isn't it...!

[kicker]

I have used them. They're good but it only earnt the PTA £120 last year so not a huge money spinner. I've tried marketing it with a competition for a pupil to design the label which didn't get that much response.
It makes sense only to preorder so you're not left with a load of left over puddings but you need to make sure you don't miss the order deadline in November.

[mouldycheesefan]

Selling Xmas trees from the forestry commission is more of a money spinner. You can sell them at the Xmas fair or on a different day.

[Ditsy4]

Oh my goodness , yes. I bought some from the Scouts last year. They were delicious especially the ginger one. I think I paid £6 and I pre ordered.

[Ditsy4]

£6 each!

[whatstheplanphil]

mouldycheesefan that sounds unteresting, do you have a link / website address for the Christmas tree thing ?