Peddling the Soup Peddler

Last June we introduced Brand Autopsy readers to The Soup Peddler.

For the unaware … David Ansel, The Soup Peddler, quit his high-tech job in 2001 to start making homemade soups using seasonal, local, and organic ingredients. Better yet, he delivers his soups to customers in South Austin by bicycle. Yes, bicycle. Hence the name – The Soup Peddler.

The Soup Peddler is very much a case study in the art of being remarkable.

Much has evolved in the life of the Soup Peddler since June. These days David and his team of peddlers and soup makers deliver over 350 gallons of soup every week. He is quickly outgrowing his once seemingly gigantic soup kitchen. And, he is grappling with how to continue growing his company without losing touch with the original mission of the business.

I reckon the curse of being remarkable is dealing with the remarkable growth it brings and dealing with all the media attention it garners. Just in the last few weeks, David has been featured on The Food Network (.mov file), KXAN-TV (real player), News 8 Austin (windows media player), and The Soup Peddler documentary premiered on KLRU-TV.

If all that wasn’t enough, David is now blogging and he recently submitted the manuscript for his Slow and Difficult Recipes Cookbook to be published by Ten Speed Press this Fall. (Click here to read a sample chapter.)

Last month I sat down with David to talk soup, Fela Kuti, and ways he can apply basic JumboShrimp Marketing principles to his business.

JumboShrimp Marketing is all about getting bigger by being smaller and some of the principles we discussed were:

Being the Best, Not the Biggest

Going Beyond Stating a Mission to Living a Mission

Fostering Customer Devotion, Not Customer Loyalty

Appealing to Main Street More than Wall Street

Global Warming Bad, Local Warming Good

High-Touch Over High-Tech

David and I are scheduled to talk again ... so I'll keep y'all informed on how The Soup Peddler will continue getting bigger by being smaller.

Comments

[Aleah]

I have a friend who is taking a similar approach, but with baking. His "down home" cooking really appeals to people tired of the disengaged suburban and urban forms of fast food culture.

[joe]

I just love cooking in general. I make some really good BBQ.