Kitchen Garden Forum

I am able to pay for all of my allotment/gardening expenses and have a couple of hundred pounds or so left over to donate to our Church by selling soft fruit from a stall on the grass verge of the main road through our village. The stall is positioned in the front of the Church but nevertheless I still lose about 10% of sales through outright theft of a punnett of strawberries/raspberries/loganberries or blackberries (picked my first blackberries yesterday, by the way) or a low value coin ,usually 10p instead of a pound coin, giving the impression that the full payment is being made. I forgot to mention that the stall is unmanned and everything costs a pound for a punnet which weighs approx 250grms. Without resorting to manning the stall or lurking nearby have you any suggestions on how I can beat the bandits?

I read recently in the Daily Telegraph that a picture of a pair of staring eyes in full view will cut losses but I have not tried that yet. I have tried 1) a half full cup of drink left on the stall with a chair nearby and 2) a notice that the money is donated to the Church. The former made no difference at all and the latter a marginal one!!

Peejo, just put something for you to look at under the old honesty box.

Kind regards Old Herbaceous.

Theres no fool like an old fool.

Dear Peejo,
how about a notice saying "smile you're on television!"
Regards Sally Wright.

Hi Sally,
When first read this thread I thought of your wonderful posting earlier on in the year and had a chuckle and now you have repeated your super advice.
Sincerely, Johnboy.