Firsthand Foods is a mission-driven, women-owned meat company based in Durham that sells pasture-raised, local meats to selected retail grocery stores and home delivery businesses in the Triangle and Triad region. Our meats are sourced from a remarkable network of North Carolina livestock producers who raise their animals humanely, outdoors on pasture without growth-promoting antibiotics or added hormones. We sell beef, pork and lamb to restaurants, retailers and food service customers. Our popular specialty products, including sausage, bacon and ham are made without additives, preservatives, or fillers and are gluten-free.
Our retail accounts include primarily natural foods grocery stores and specialty markets, including Bulldega Urban Market, Chatham Market, Deep Roots Market, Durham Co-Op Market, Funny Girl Farm, and three (soon to be four) Weaver Street Markets. Smaller retailers include King’s Red & White, Raleigh Provisions Company, and Melina’s Pasta Shop. We provide promotional support to our retail customers to help expand awareness of our brand and introduce customers to our delicious products.
Services Needed
We are seeking a Brand Ambassador to coordinate and execute in-store product tastings at our retail locations. This work includes communicating and scheduling with each retailer and maintaining, cleaning and re-stocking our company “demo kit.” Product tastings require cooking and serving sausage samples and communicating with end-consumers, including telling our brand story, providing cooking tips and recipe ideas, explaining product attributes and production standards and answering other inquiries.
Scope of Work
We are anticipating 25 in-store product tastings between January 2019 – December 2019. Most product tastings occur weekdays in the early evenings or weekends during the day. Typical tastings are 3 hours with at least 30 minutes needed on either side for set up and break down. Thus, we anticipate each tasting to take 4 hours plus an additional hour for communication and coordination with retail partners and Firsthand Foods. Total hours for the project are expected to be approximately 125, not including travel or initial training.
Requirements
Brand Ambassador must be highly organized and demonstrate exceptional enthusiasm for Firsthand Foods’ brand and mission and be keenly interested in engaging shoppers in conversation. Brand Ambassador must be Serv-Safe Certified or demonstrate comparable competency in food handling, preparation and safety. Brand Ambassador is responsible for all coordination with retail partners and travel to and from product tastings. Firsthand Foods will provide all required supplies, including a cook set, marketing materials, and meat products. Firsthand Foods will train Brand Ambassador and provide background information pertaining to our business, farmers, production standards, and product claims.
Request
Submit a 1-2 page proposal to jennifer@firsthandfoods.com and provide the following:
- Background information about yourself and/or company, including why you are interested in working as Firsthand Foods’ Brand Ambassador
- Your qualifications, including relevant skills and experience
- A description of the services you will provide, including a list of activities
- A simple budget to reflect the 125 work hours anticipated and a budget justification
- Two reference contacts
Deadline
Proposals must be submitted by close of business December 21st, 2018.