ONE YEAR OF FOXXY FOODS: WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

Image By Andrew Ward Photography

Foxxy Foods launched at Deva Fest 2025. Twelve months later, the business returned to the same event with a very different level of experience, operational understanding and commercial awareness.

Over the past year, the team has traded at festivals, markets, weddings, private events and corporate functions, alongside developing regular food residencies.

As with any new hospitality business, not every decision has worked.

Some events have delivered strong sales and introduced the brand to new audiences. Others have highlighted the importance of properly assessing footfall, pitch fees, staffing requirements, food costs, travel, preparation and wastage before committing.

There have also been the operational realities that come with mobile catering: difficult weather, muddy sites, equipment challenges and even having to relocate a generator after complaints from neighbouring traders.

None of these experiences are unusual when building a hospitality business. What matters is what happens afterwards.

Being more selective about opportunities

One of the biggest lessons from the first year has been understanding that a full events calendar does not automatically equal a successful business.

When launching something new, there is often a temptation to accept every opportunity in order to build awareness and generate sales.

However, an event only makes commercial sense if the potential return justifies the associated cost and resource.

The Foxxy Foods team now has a much clearer understanding of the types of events that work for the business, the questions that need to be asked before committing and the level of trading required to make an event worthwhile.

That knowledge has come through experience.

Responding to customer demand

The same approach has been applied to the food offer.

At the Farmers Arms residency, Foxxy Foods initially introduced curry nights. While the product was well received, demand was not at the level required.

Rather than continuing with the original concept, the team reviewed the response and introduced a Greek food offer instead.

Performance improved and the residency has developed into a consistent weekly trading opportunity.

For us, this is an important part of building any hospitality business.

An idea does not have to fail completely before it is changed. Operators need to be willing to review performance, listen to customers and adapt when the evidence suggests there is a better opportunity.

Operational experience matters

Returning to Deva Fest in 2026 provided a useful comparison.

The 2025 festival had been Foxxy Foods' first event. A year later, the team returned with a better understanding of stock levels, preparation, equipment, staffing and managing demand during busy trading periods.

The result was that Foxxy Foods generated double the sales achieved at Deva Fest the previous year.

While the sales growth is positive, the operational improvement behind it is equally important.

The business was better prepared because the team had spent a year testing, reviewing and improving the operation.

The SAVVY approach

Growth is not simply about doing more.

It is about understanding which opportunities are commercially viable, putting the right systems in place, listening to customers, reviewing performance and being prepared to change direction when necessary.

At SAVVY, our approach is centred around exactly that.

Whether we are working with one of our own businesses or supporting another hospitality operator, we believe sustainable progress comes from combining good ideas with strong operations, commercial discipline and a willingness to keep learning.

Foxxy Foods is still developing, and there is plenty more opportunity ahead.

But one year on, the business is stronger, more experienced and making better-informed decisions than it was when the van first arrived at Deva Fest in 2025.

And ultimately, that is what progress should look like.

And they are just getting started.

Contact scott@foxxyfoods.com for any enquiries or private events!