Tom Martin Dale (45) was close to death as a drug addict, now life is smiling. Together with his wife Heidi Kristine Dale (41) and the rest of the family, he has had a completely new life at Standeren farm.
After struggling through abuse, substance abuse and homelessness, he is now, as TA previously wrote, a real sunshine story. He started Tom’s food chat on Facebook in May 2018. Here he has since shared recipes, food tips, humor and life stories. He answers questions and helps everyone as far as he can, both with food and other things. He helps people find the joy of cooking, and that good food doesn’t have to be expensive.
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Tom Martin (45) was close to death: – I was forcibly hospitalized, and had it not been for that I would not have survived
The blog has grown somewhat violently, and now 44,700 followers are registered.
Will maintain ground contact
– It really has been an adventure, and an absolutely incredible difference, he notes.
– But you are the same, and your followers like it, that you are yourself, says the wife. They fully share this project.
– It is important to maintain contact with the ground. There is no point in getting high on the pear, at the same time you have to have faith in yourself, he says.
It is the recipe for constant progress. It shows book number two in eight months. The next release is called “Deig og meg”.
– It’s about cakes, bread, buns and biscuits. Lots of biscuits, he says of the book, which has a circulation of twice 2,000.
– It will be 4,000, and I have to get them 14 days apart. Because otherwise we don’t have room. 2,000 books are three pallets stacked that high, he says, demonstrating with arm movements.
With your own shop, everything has become much easier.
– Now we can stand here and pack. It’s an advantage. Last time we had to stand in the basement at home, explains Tom Martin.
– Then just receiving the books was a huge deal. Now we can just roll them straight in, she says.
Sold 3200
The last time TA mentioned book sales, 1,400 copies were sold. Now it has risen to 3200.
– That’s a good amount, not to sell through publishers and just advertise yourself.
In the meantime, the book is also available at the local book dealer.
– But now it will soon end there, so now people can come here to the shop and buy the book.
Book number two is just around the corner.
– It will be sent in next week, and then it will take almost a month at the printing office. It is ready at the turn of May and June. I have registered the date of release as June 1st.
Started everything
The background for the success is the first book, which was entitled Toms matprat with the subtitle: The most important ingredient is love.
– Everything is thanks to that book. We would never have been able to afford the store, or book number two. Nothing. It was the one that started it all. It first started with 500 books, and it earned enough to produce more books, says Heidi Kristine.
So it only increases.
– We build stone by stone. That’s how you have to do it.
It also means that they can create a fuller book.
– The new book will be over 240 pages, and with many more pictures. In the first book, we could only afford one picture per recipe, it was expensive with extra pictures. Now there will be two, three and four pictures per recipe, they say.
In the blog, the followers are used to different images throughout the process, which is not the case in the book.
Open shop
The store was opened last Saturday.
– We learned a little then, about what goes on. We have found that local products are very popular, so we have now contacted several producers from Telemark. But it is not so easy to find an overview of small food and small-scale producers. We prefer not to have similar products. For everyone produce applesauce and honey.
Nevertheless, the store is beginning to be well stocked.
– We have well over 200 products, that’s 250, he estimates.
It was a contrast to the last time TA visited, when the room was empty.
Now it is two-part with a range of products that meet the customers, and at the back there is an online store with its own packaging department.
– What does it mean to have had your own premises?
– It means better space, and some free time at home. When I’m home now, it’s free. We can distinguish a little more between work and leisure. Before then, it was running down to the basement on a Sunday evening, he explains.
– Now there are many professionals. At home in the basement, we had a kitchen table with a pallet, and a plate that we packed on. There are proper benches here, and better space, Heidi Kristine chimes in.
A new attraction
It also means that Lunde has gained a new attraction.
– It’s cool that we can offer the store as an offer for those who live here.
But there has also been a good influx from outside.
– There have been people here from Lier. They were to bring the opening with them. There have been people from Langangen, Notodden and Oslo. At the latest yesterday, we received a message from Asker. They were wondering when we were open?
Now they are looking forward to the arrival of the camping tourists.
– There are a lot of people who have said that they want to take a trip to Lunde at the campsite, in order to come here. There have been people from Bergen and Trondheim. We have already had guests from Kilen and Omnes camping, they say.
Promising start
The first week has been promising.
– It has been a good start. We are satisfied, there has been a steady influx.
So far, there has been no grand opening party.
– We had to learn the system and see if everything worked first. The grand opening party is coming, we just haven’t set a date yet.
In between, Tom Martin also takes on catering duties.
– Now I will make tapas for 80 pieces for Bandak. But I try to slow down a bit, and have all the focus here instead, he says.
– There are many balls in the air at once, notes Heidi Kristine.
