Chocolate Dipped Strawberries...how Much Do I Charge???
Decorating By rhopar33 Updated 30 Jul 2007 , 7:47pm by southerncake
I have a bride who would like a platter of chocolate dipped strawberries in addition to her wedding cake. I have no idea what to charge. She is intersted in a quote for 25, 50, 75, and 100 strawberries. How much would you charge.
By the way, I bartered w/ her for the wedding cake- her fiance laid tile in my laundry room in exchange for the werdding cake.
Please help me figure out what to charge.
Thanks in advance,
Rhonda
I would charge at least $1 each, depending on the size and what quality of chocolate you use, you might want to go even higher. The grocery store I work in charges $1 and they use regular strawberries and almond bark for dipping...
I know I don't charge enough so I will be of no help 
but wanted to remind you that you need to keep in consideration if they will be "in season" at the time of the wedding. The cost of strawberries now and the cost when her wedding will take place will/may be different.
I know I don't charge enough so I will be of no help
but wanted to remind you that you need to keep in consideration if they will be "in season" at the time of the wedding. The cost of strawberries now and the cost when her wedding will take place will/may be different.
Her wedding will be early September.
I normally charge $1 a strawberry but if the wedding isn't until September, you may want to go $1.25 - 1.50. You can't be sure all the berries in the package will be servable and may have to get a few packages to get the number you need. I don't offer Strawberries after Aug.
Mine are currently $1.25 and they are going up to $2.25 eff 9-1-07, specifically for the reason mentioned above: seasonal pricing.
You have to set a price based on worst case scenario.
A flat of strawberries from Sysco, when purchased in June, cost me $15.
A flat of strawberries from Sysco, when purchased in March, cost $37.
Plus you cannot anticipate what kind of natural disaster or produce workers strike may happen that will affect the supply (and therefore the price) of produce.
I used to manage a warehouse on the Arizona/Mexico border (great excuse to visit the west coast 5 or 6 times a year! 
) and it was VERY common for the produce workers to go on strike and block the border. So if strawberries are coming out of Mexico during a strike, not only are you not getting any berries, but the ones you do get will be priced sky-high. Even if your berries are coming from Calif or FLA, the supply is STILL affected and the laws of supply-and-demand go into effect .... lower supply - higher price.
With a standard price of $2.25, it is very easy for me to "discount" a bride during peak season, but it's almost impossible to raise the posted price.
Plus you can't price them based on your cost of per-berry. For me to get 100 good berries, I have to buy at least 200. "Scrap factor" cost must be calculated also.
Indydebi,
Should we intrepret scrap factor as the ones you couldn't resist eating? LOL!! I'm just kidding. Strawberries are a weakness of mine. I did some chocolate dipped strawberries over the weekend for a wedding and I just couldn't stop myself from eating the "extras."
I know I don't charge enough so I will be of no help
but wanted to remind you that you need to keep in consideration if they will be "in season" at the time of the wedding. The cost of strawberries now and the cost when her wedding will take place will/may be different.Her wedding will be early September.
I'm sure that you know that NC's strawberry season is long over by September. When people do spring/early summer events and I know I can go pick my own berries or at least my them from a local grower, I usually do $1 each for plain dipped. Out of season, I base it on what I have to pay for the berries. The only place near me where I can by large berries out of season is Fresh Market and they are so expensive even with a bulk discount, so I just make sure I make it worth my time.
Indydebi,
Should we intrepret scrap factor as the ones you couldn't resist eating? LOL!! I'm just kidding. Strawberries are a weakness of mine. I did some chocolate dipped strawberries over the weekend for a wedding and I just couldn't stop myself from eating the "extras."
well....maybe a little! 
My biggest challenge is keeping my 14 year old out of them! When she's at the kitchen, she's always hovering over the berries asking me if I'm going to be using any of the little ones, or she's telling me that she needs to test them for taste-quality! 
When I have a few extra dipped ones, she actually peels the chocolate off first! I can't convince her that's the best part!!
I cannot help but wonder if there is a way to buy when they're in season and freeze them (large berries with stems on). I know it would take a lot of freezer space, but it seems like this may help with the cost and you could get the number you need ahead of time. Beats being caught in early Sept. with sub-standard (or very small) strawberries. I know some fruit you can freeze in water and when they thaw they are perfect, don't know the best way to deal with strawberries, though, but since you can already get them frozen, seems like it could be something to think about.
I cannot help but wonder if there is a way to buy when they're in season and freeze them (large berries with stems on). I know it would take a lot of freezer space, but it seems like this may help with the cost and you could get the number you need ahead of time. Beats being caught in early Sept. with sub-standard (or very small) strawberries. I know some fruit you can freeze in water and when they thaw they are perfect, don't know the best way to deal with strawberries, though, but since you can already get them frozen, seems like it could be something to think about.
We freeze probably 100 pounds of strawberries a year (plus strawberry freezer jelly) and use them for shortcake, fillings, cobbler, etc., but they are cut up and are very mushy once defrosted. Alton Brown did a show once showing how to freeze whole berries to use whole later and you had to use dry ice and it seemed to me like a lot of work! I imagine if you had a blast freezer like a couple of CCers you could do that -- I can only dream 
!!
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