I'm Plattered
Interview #25 - I’m Plattered
It’s been a while but I am back in business with these posts now. I am still trying to develop some sort of plan and timetable for posting and all that but since going back to uni for the semester, everything has just been out of whack! Over the next couple of days and the week, you may see a few changes happening to both my Instagram page and also this blog site. I am hoping to make it more aesthetically appealing to you, the audience, but everything Is still a working progress and I don’t think I will ever have it perfect. But I am continuing to adapt and create different angles for how I want my work shown. This is why I chose the more minimalist approach to my site. White with colour accents as the posts. So, that’s my attempt of a not so introduction and now onto the actual post!
I had the pleasure of interviewing the owner and creative behind the business, I’m Plattered. You may recognise the beautiful and artistic platters, boards, tables and boxes that are created I’m Plattered has been around for 2 years now and they are thriving more than ever. I’m Plattered strives themselves upon the fact that they can produce high-quality foods that are both fresh and delicious.
MEET JAMIE
Jamie is the owner, creator and artist you could say behind the business, I’m Plattered. When Jamie first started the business, she had no idea that it was going to blow up the way it did, even when she wasn’t getting orders in the first couple of weeks from launch. Before she developed the business, she used to make platters for her family and friends but it didn’t really blossom until she gave it a go with a push from close friends and family. Two years on and she is still getting countless orders.
There have been a few main Instagram pages and with the experience of previously running a food blog, Jamie has always been around food so it’s always been a passion. Moving onto this type of business where she is now creating the food instead of eating has helped develop what her business is and to maybe one day open up her own cafe.
From seeing other people’s Instagram posts and Pinterest accounts helped develop the overall idea for the business as well as gaining inspiration for new ideas and different layouts of boards and platters. For all the platters and tables especially that she creates, everything is largely based off of aesthetic and the quality of the food she uses. The behind the scenes of Jamie’s business especially can be hard sometimes as people don’t know the whole story that goes on before the actual platter gets set up.
When starting the business, when Jamie first decided that this was what she wanted to do, I’m Plattered was up and running in 3 weeks. During that time, Jamie wished that she would have wanted to do some more research but even now, she doesn’t regret starting as she is constantly learning new things every day. Even though her research wasn’t as extensive in the beginning, just like any other business owner starting out, she is constantly adapting. When starting, there were few logistical concepts revolving around the world of business that had to be learned, like whether or not Jamie had to pay GST and things like that. Since then, she has learnt through every day experiences and making time for some more research to create I’m Plattered. The business that Jamie has created targets a wide range of people. It can be anyone from their teens celebrating a birthday, to those in their 60s and any event in between. Jamie is able to cater from just 2 people having a picnic with one of her grazing boxes to those who have 200 people with magnificent tables.
What tips would you give to someone starting their own business?
“I think the one thing that I would always say is to stop comparing yourself to others because you just sit there and go, ‘oh why doesn’t mine look like that’, or ‘their photos are better’, and stuff like that but that all just comes with time. Even with me, everything just comes with time and don’t compare yourself to other people because you don’t know how much help or people that other person may have had”.
Jamie wants her business, I’m Plattered to be a one-stop-shop for those using and wanting to get the tables made up or a platter for an event. This is the intended experience that Jamie hopes to provide so that its an easy fix for those organising a stressful event on a special day. Jamie will always ask before she goes if the customer has any specific requirements that they need and she takes care of the rest, from the delivery to the set up to the props and the collection of everything at the end of the event.
Just like any other business, there is a lot of competition in this world, but with I’m Plattered, it is not only the name Jamie came up with but what she does that helps differentiate herself from everyone else. It’s hard to determine what makes someone different unless you know every single thing about the business but for Jamie, she makes herself known. At Queen Vic Market at the Corner Larder, she works with the team there and they sell her Take Me Away boxes directly from their store to the public. The name, I’m Plattered was created with a sense that it can be expanded further as it’s a play on words with saying I’m flattered. The name was intended to be fun and different from anything else that you would see and it has enabled more play on words with the rest of her products. Some examples of other product names such as Breakfast with Jamie, Born in Brunswick, and Mother of Boards are some of the play on words that tie in perfectly with what Jamie has to offer.
There was always a sense of doubt before and even as soon as Jamie started the business. There were weeks where no orders came through but with some time and effort and patience, orders slowly made their way. There are always times where Jamie still has doubt but this business has enabled her to expand and fill a gap in the market. Anyone can put together a table but in order to pick the right cheeses with fruit and the right flavour combinations while also making it look aesthetically pleasing is not an easy task. With I’m Plattered being a full-service catering company Jamie is able to take away the pressure and stress of setting up a grazing table or platter along with everything else that customer has going on that day. There are certain aspects of the business that Jamie prefers over anything else, this is mainly once the boards or tables are fully completed and set up, her favourite part is being able to take photos and to see everyone’s reactions to the masterpiece you could say of a board. Even though the prep work and the washing of all the fruit and boards before hand can be mundane and time-consuming, it is all worth it in the end.
The future of the business is still a mystery, just like it is for anyone else, but hopefully she wishes that I’m Plattered could expand more than what it is now. Jamie hopes that she can start to create and make herself more ‘food’ items like sandwiches, bagels and salads to give more variety to the consumer and to make her business even more of a one stop shop. This will be beneficial for more bigger functions that Jamie can hope to facilitate because there is only so much cheese someone can eat!
How would you describe your business in one sentence?
We take a styling concept to event catering - that’s very insta-worthy
Thank you yet again for making it down to the bottom of this blog post and for reading the story behind your local business, I’m Plattered. Make sure to follow Jamie on Instagram HERE and click the button below for a direct link to their website.
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