a whole lot better," she says. "People know somebody did this by hand." Containers can add a new dimen-
sion while complementing the contents. MarketSpice sells a tea "bouquet" that uses 10-inch cinnamon sticks as stems, each topped with an individually wrapped tea bag for the "blossoms" and fitted into a sleek glass vase; its Cooking with MarketSpice Gift Basket packs an array of spices, tea bags and cookie mixes in a colander. While not to be slighted, packaging is rarely the star of the show. Shapiro typically allots no more than 10 percent of a customer's budget to the basket itself; some of her go-to resources for boxes and bows are Nashville Wraps and Boxco. The $5 fee for ordering a basket through MarketSpice's website covers the vessel as well as adornments—though with some orders, the adornments make the gift.
"We have some people who just buy one pound of tea and they want it in a basket," Chase says with a laugh. "So I'll throw in cinnamon sticks and little spices around it and make it look nice." To top it off, Chase handwrites all gift cards and notes going into each basket.
Pricing: The First or Final Step Two approaches dominate in the gift basket pricing scheme. For custom orders, price is the very first step. At Talk of the Town, Shapiro explains, budget is the first ques- tion; from there, package and labor costs are deducted, after which she knows just how much is going toward product. With free rein over the creative pro-
cess, Porat suggests predesigned baskets should begin with concept, not price. (continued on p. 117)
MarketSpice's Tea Bouquet tops cinnamon sticks with individual tea bags.
Sweeten up your gluten-free lifestyle!
sales@stickyfingersbakeries.com • www.stickyfingersbakeries.com • 1.800.458.5826
28 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE ❘ specialtyfood.com
PHOTO: MARKETSPICE