How Far Would You Go...

For food?  For a photo of food?

Last weekend at a blind tasting, I discovered a new olive oil and was surprised to find out that was produced locally.  I wanted to know more.  And I wanted more of that oil.  So I did what all good food bloggers do, I went online, googled the name of the company, and went to their website. 

I liked what I read.  The company was founded by a couple that moved out of Los Angeles so that their kids could grow up in the country. Their philosophy is “family, friends, fun, and food.” They practice sustainable agriculture.

As soon as I found out that they have a tasting room, I made up my mind to go to Temecula (a one-hour drive).  As I was driving up the I-15, I decided to make a quick stop in Escondido.  I don’t get up that way very often, but there is a bakery that I always stop at when I’m passing through.

I have been going to San Diego Artisan Bakers, off and on, since they opened about 10 years ago.  On my sporadic visits, I always enjoyed talking to the owner, Frederick Holmshaw, about the craft of baking bread (using the traditional method of slow fermentation instead of commercial yeast).  I bought my proofing baskets from him.  I spent a day taking his breadmaking class, which ended with lunch out on the patio: pizza made in a brick-fired oven that Frederick had built himself.

A few months ago, however, I stopped in and discovered that the bakery was now called Belen Artisan Bakers.  Owner Lucy Duran told me that she and her husband had bought the bakery earlier this year.

When I visited this past Saturday, I met Jose Duran.  After I bought a couple of loaves of bread, I asked Jose if I could take some photos.  He didn’t say anything at first, but I could see on his face that he was hesitant about the idea.  I explained to him that I love food and that I like to write about what I eat.  He still looked very doubtful.

At that point, I should have realized that he wasn’t comfortable with the idea and backed off.  But no, I continued to talk, telling him that I like to promote locally-grown food and what a wonderful idea it would be to appear on my blog, blah, blah, blah.  He finally relented, but asked that I not take any photos with the prices of the bread. 

Why?  He explained that he had a lot of competitors and that he didn’t want to give them any information that could be used to their advantage.  He mentioned “spies” who had come in snooping around.  I assured him I had no intention of opening a bakery, that I simply liked bread and liked to support locally owned, independent businesses.

I didn’t quite follow his logic, but since that was the condition for getting the photos, I agreed not to show prices. I went around behind the bread rack and shot from that side only. 

After a short time, several customers entered the store.  A line formed and it became obvious that I had worn out my welcome.  “Are you done yet?”

I guess I was.  Here are the photos I got.  I wish I could tell you what type of bread this is, but all the names were printed on the signs in the front (along with the prices).  If you want to know, you’ll have to go to the bakery and find out for yourself. Interestingly enough, if you look at the photos on their website you can spot a few there. 

Afterword:
The whole experience left me feeling very uncomfortable.  Should I have gone with my gut feeling and left the poor man alone?  After all, not everyone wants publicity, however well intentioned it may be. I came in, unannounced, and put him on the spot.

For me, this incident raises an interesting issue.  Do we, as bloggers, have the right to go into every restaurant and business, take notes and photos and then “publish” that information?  What do you think?  What are the legal and ethical boundaries here? 

I’m curious to hear what kind of experiences other bloggers have had with reluctant subjects.  Do you ask people before taking photos or do you just start snapping away?  Or do you take them on the sly when no one is looking? 

I don’t understand his reluctance to reveal prices.  This isn’t a used car dealership.  Anyone can walk into the bakery and get that information.  From my experience, customers who buy artisan bread buy it because it tastes better and they prefer a hand-made loaf to a commercially baked product filled with preservatives and dough conditioners. 

Yes, it is more expensive.  But who are his competitors?  I know of only 4 other bakeries in all of San Diego County that offer artisan, European-style breads: Bread & Cie, Bread on Market, Sadie Rose, and Con Pane.  Granted, two of them have large wholesale operations.  But I don’t think anyone is going to drive from Escondido to Hillcrest, for example, just to save 50 cents* on a loaf of bread.
*Hypothetical, does not reflect actual prices! 

Or is it the grocery stores that are undercutting him?  Personally, I would much rather buy my bread directly from a baker than from VONS.  I love bakeries—the sight of all those loaves lined up neatly on the shelves, the variety, the smell of baking bread in the air, the dusting of flour all over the countertops.

Jose, I wish you all the best. Running your own business, especially a family-run bakery like yours--open 12 hours a day, 6 days a week--can't be easy.  I liked your semolina bread, by the way. I’d like to stop by again soon.

I’ll leave my camera in the car. 

Onward: Temecula, ho, ho, ho!

Comments

[Kirk]

Hi Angie - I've had my own strange experience recently at a Mongolian BBQ - the Lady came out with a stick telling me "No picture, no picture!" It turns out she was afraid that I was going to open up a another Mongolian BBQ that would be her competition......can you say absurd? If soneone asks me not to take pictures, I won't. But needless to say I'll communicate that as part of the meal experience.

[rowena]

Angie... GREAT post! And those bread images just left me wanting to take a big bite out of those loaves. The questions that you posed however gives bloggers something to think about and I can say from experience that sometimes uninvited interest can unsettle a person/business owner. A bakery that I worked for on Kauai had an unexpected visit from another bakery that simply wanted to nose around and ask point blank, if our bakery intended to make such-and-such product. I thought that was pretty crass but my boss thought it was hilarious. I'm glad he had a sense of humor about it all. At another establishment that I worked for, the owner installed caller I.D. (to identify any competition?) to see who's phoning in. What a riot!!!

As for snapping photos whenever I eat out or visit somewhere, I just do it. With my asian looks, I just pretend that I'm a tourist. Heh heh...

[Angie]

Kirk:

LOL--at least no one was shaking a stick at me!

Rowena:

I think you have to have a sense of humor (or at least perspective) about it. Competition is a natural part of business. So make the best possible product you can and be nice to your customers and they will keep coming back. Seems pretty simple to me.

Hey, I like that tourist idea. I just need to get a sunburn and wear a San Diego Zoo t-shirt...

[Beth]

Interesting issue that you bring up, Angie. Sometimes after a meal or a purchase, I've mentioned that I have a food blog and that I'll be writing about the experience on it. I always expect them to be interested and flattered and excited and to ask for the URL. But they very rarely do. Even some of my friends are confused by my hobby of food blogging, so maybe it's something that people just don't understand and so it throws them off.

[Angie]

Beth:

Good point. It's important to us because we spend so much time doing it, but I guess we can't expect the same level of excitement and interest from everyone else. I would probably get the same reaction if I said I have a stamp-collecting blog or belonged to the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism).

So I can understand why "normal" people, who aren't interested in food to begin with, much less food blogging, wouldn't be interested. But you would think a food-related business owner would be.

[chronicler]

I usually just take pictures without asking. However, I try to go with the rule, "if you can't say something nice..." and keep my opinions objective. I did a write up of Con pane and got an email from Catherine, the owner, one afternoon, telling me I had made her day. She said she loved the pictures and was happy for the comments about her place. She had googled her restaurant name, and my post came up.

Most owners are so busy trying to make ends meet they have no idea what is happening in the real world. Most think you're speaking a different language when you say blog. Considering only 17% of the population reads them on a regular basis, I think we've got a way to go. That's basically why I don't ask permission to take photos.

[Angie]

Sure, I don't expect everyone to know what a blog is. Most of the time I just start taking photos, too. Depends on the context, but usually in a crowded place, I figure no one is really going to notice me or care about what I'm doing. When I am the only one in the room, however, as I was at the bakery, I feel self-conscious and ask, out of politeness and to ease the awkwardness. That's when you usually end up explaining what the pictures are for...So maybe it is better not to ask, Let them take the initiative, if they are curious.

Nice post on Con Pane. I like their bread, too.
http://foodchronicles.blogspot.com/2005_04_01_foodchronicles_archive.html

[Darla]

Hi there! Thanks for stopping by Messy Cucina! I'm a journalist and so I've ran into this problem on two levels: trying to get a story for my blog and trying to get a story for the newspaper.

Generally you have the right to ask to take a photo and notes (and you should ask). But just as a person can refuse to be interviewed (thus killing your story) they can refuse to make it convenient for you to blog about your experience with them.

After realizing that immediately handing over my business card opened doors for news stories, I've taken to handing out my business card for blog stories. Yes, get a business card for your blog. It opens doors and gives a slight sense of "trust" and "legit" to people unfamiliar with us. Plus, if they're curious or excited it's an easy way for them to check out your review, and to contact you if they'd like you to review them again. On the other hand, if they are a little worried, they now know they can check out your review and complain/ask you to remove it if they don't like it. Call it security or collateral.

You can go to any office supply store and buy sheets of blank business cards to make at home.

When in doubt, you can always take a picture of food items that you have purchased--- they are yours afterall.

[Darla]

P.S.-- LOVE your blog, I think I've stopped here before. You've lived in Italy right? Soooo jealous.

[Angie]

Darla:

Hmm, that's an interesting approach. When asked, I have given one or two people I've interviewed my website address, but business cards takes it to a whole new level.

I'm not sure if I'm ready for that yet. I started the blog as a hobby. And while I do take it seriously and would love to see it grow into something bigger (a la Julie Powell/Clotilde), at this point I am still exploring where I want to go with this food writing.

Right now I like the anonymity. I'm afraid if I go in announcing that I'm writing a story for my blog, that will change the way the store or restaurant interacts with me. I want to be treated as a regular customer, not as a potential publicity mouthpiece.

I don't mean to imply that's what you are doing. That is simply a concern that I have for my own writing.