Independence Day a market test for fledgling bakery

By Sapeer Mayron

Sip and Chip Samoa founders Fita Talataina and Lanu Ainuu wanted to make a little extra money for their families, and they love to bake. 

So they came up with a bakery concept with unique brownies and cookies, and decided Independence Day could be the perfect place to trial their recipes.

The bakery stand is called Sip and Chip, mostly for the chocolate chips in their brownies, blondies (a vanilla brownie), cookies and even ‘brookies’ – a brownie/cookie combo. They haven’t started on the Sip part yet, but they want to experiment with soda.

“We actually just sat down last week and thought how about we do a bake sale during Independence Day. This is our first time trying it. We’re just trying it out, seeing how it goes,” Fita Talataina said.

And the market day has been a useful experiment. Some of the baking is landing well, and others are leaving people confused.

“I think it’s just an unknown. They don’t know what a blondie is, for sure, so they don’t know what to expect, and they don’t know what a brookie is as well,” she said.

So product didn’t fly off their stand, but Ms Talataina is not discouraged.

“People have just been interested in the show. We haven’t had a lot of people come by,” she said. And heavy traffic into Mulinuu meant they were setting up shop at the end of the opening ceremony, as many people were leaving, despite arriving around 6am. 

So between prices and flavours, the test has left the pair with a lot of lessons. Ms Talataina’s business partner Lanu Ainuu was not at the stand but her mother Aiga Vaiaoga was her enthusiastic stand-in.

“I am a grandmother who wants to help so I have been up all night trying to help her,” she laughed.

“I just wish we came earlier and sold more. But no worries, lesson learned.”

She said prices might be too high for a roadside stand but the pair hope to start pop up stands around the city to trial further, before maybe opening a store.

“We really hope it will expand and grow, and become something that can help support our families and stand on its own eventually,” Ms Talataina said.

Sip and Chip are contactable on 776 2945 or 7576517.

By Sapeer Mayron

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