Positive experiences earning a living in Turkey?

[nichola]

a recent article about the sausage man in Kargi

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=bangers-and-bratwurst-come-to-kargi-2010-07-29

[Ovacikpeedoff]

I do not think the Brits are any different to any other nationality. In every country there is a minority of the locals that prey on foreigners and weaker people in society. All you need do is watch cowboy builders on the BBC and see some of the rip offs that have been done to the sick and the old. In the UK we have foreign labour being employed illegally and being paid less than the minimum wage and living 20 to a house paying massive rents. We are no saints.

With regards to France the Brits that have complained to me about builders were not just complaining about the French but also about Brits ripping off their own.

Sometimes the way we act abroad is a mystery to me. When employing someone to do major work in the UK you would probably get a number of quotes. This action applies to whether it is Turkey, France or any other country. Peecee, I am totally gob smacked that a friend of a friend paid 25,000 Euros to rotavate a field and did not think that is expensive. There are forums in France that are specifically designed for the Brits where you can ask fellow expats for advice. We are thinking of building a house in France and these forums have been very helpful in pointing us in the right direction. These forums are very good for business information but no where near as good as CBF for the local gossip and good old points of discussion.

[Scunner]

quote:Originally posted by Dizzy Jan

Scunner I do have to pick you up on the Sausage man at Kargi. My husband has visited his work place and he says its spotless. His products are really good and made in a spotless kitchen. Hes very nice and speaks good English so easy to communicate with. He's never afraid to give you a tour so think that his place is aways keep clean not just for show when you are coming. he is also a very generous man donated 6kg of his sausages to the Children Charity 60's and 70's night and then throw in some other things for us to try on the day. So I for one will be going back to collect some more goodies.

That was nothing to do with the point I was making so let me try once more to be quite clear. I know for a fact that making sausages is financially totally inviable in Turkey. I have said that the reports are of good products, and I am very aware of his generosity too and again wish him every success. The hoops and hurdles that include certification, specific labelling, approvals for meat handling, staffing, hygiene and refrigeration/freezing equipment (and so it goes on) carry costs that would require you to need to sell sixty billion sausages, or some other ridiculous amount, just to break even. The business model simply does not work. Sadly next to none of these expenses were evident when the business was conceived.

That was very much the experience of two Brits in Turkey, I wonder how this new business is managing. Of course it could be possible that none of the above are required as the owner isn't British, who knows.

It is incredible that production had to stop because of the "wrong type" of labels being used on the products, where 200 metres away sweaty women in a dusty car park make pancakes to sell, with a dustbin lid and a stick.

[GordonA]

Racial discrimination?    You can bet your bottom Kurus that matey at Kargi IS NOT required to emulate the same pristine environment that our 2 very good English friends created in their premises opposite the Devlet Hospital, which we visited on a few occasions, as they were continually being forced by the Government to upgrade, & were proud to show us what they were doing to meet these requirements.If I am not mistaken, this couple were also expected to provide "Butchery Diplomas" from a Turkish source, or else, employ a Turk who had such paperwork!!

By the way, to all who purchase their meat on the market square in Fethiye, have you ever stood and watched the old guys scraping the last bits of meat from the carcases, whilst smoking with the ash falling from their fags onto the meat, picking their noses, scratching their arses, then lifting the product onto an old tree trunk that never, ever gets cleaned, to get chopped up??  :P
Enjoy your Xmas lunches!!
Gordy.
Gordy

[littlereddevil]

I'm glad I don't eat meat!

[scareylady]

I thought we should list the rules and regulations that we needed to adhere to during the 10months we were in the Sausage Business in Calis.  We did everything we were asked to do right up to the point they told us our premises were too small for a sausage shop!!??? Remembering the head of the Food Hygiene at Fethiye council and the Mayor opened our shop!

Right here goes ......

1) Must have inspections of all prospective premises by the food hygene expert from the Fethiye Beledye and about 3 other officials - They rejected 4 potential shop/workshops before we took the lease on the shop we had.

2) The new premises must be completely re fitted with all of our workshop and fittings being higher than European union standards - Including Changing areas's, disinfectant dips by doors, surgical standard taps on all sinks and 5 seperate sinks in just 3 rooms!!

3) Brand new stainless steel equipment and electronically measured cooling fridges to be used and recorded at hourly intervals!!

4) White tiling to 2 meters high on all walls.

5) Industrial Super quick freezers for freezing of the sausages

6) Translated copies of hygiene certificates on show at all times

7)  All labels to be printed from a specialised programme with exact measurements of all ingredients, calories, date packed and certified by a qualified (in Turkey) food scientist. (see

As not Qualified in Turkey we had employ a Turkish Food scientist at 1800 TL min per month ( for 3 days per week ) we had to tell him what to put on the label!!

9) We finally thought we had made it and then....Just as we thought we had got all the licences....Nearly covered a whole wall.....We got told

We needed a RED MEAT food licence?  AND after traveling to Mugla to meet with officials (with local business men that couldn't believe the problems we were having) ..... just to be told that the premises we had were ....TOO SMALL to ever be awarded a Red Meat Licence (Please see No 1 above) as to get this we needed an entrance and an exit seperate to any customer entrance...And the raw meat must come through the front door.....the delivery man must walk through the fridge.....leave the meat there....and leave through the rear entrance!!!

There were lots of other little ones and we were closed by a raid of the zabita for a week over the labelling issue....10 months cost us over £40,000

Oh yes and we had to have all signage in Turkish only!!

I am not joking!!!!

So  you decide if what is being said on here is biased or true??

Set up a business here at your own peril

Lesley & Steve (Hobbs Family Sausage)

[saoirse]

I take it these rules are just for foreigners-cos I sure have seen some dives that would not have all that

[debbie]

Dear all,Lesley and Steve
Thank you all for your replys and knowledge firstly let me say we are so sorry to hear such a realy bad luck story, from a couple that looks like they have jumped up down and backwards, to such nonsense that has caused such heartache and money.
I hope you find something somewhere that will earn a living and happiness at the end.
We found Turkey to be a lovely place and the people we came across just as nice.
we met an Engishman who lives there and his friend is Turkiish.
The Turkishman gave us his time and friendship and never asked for anything in return.
We hope to return to Turkey very soon,but we will be armed with your experiences.
It seems hard to believe that Turkey is so difficult to make a living from,in some ways they do this to protect the jobs for their own people.
This will have to change when and if they get into the EU,?or will it?? imagine if the UK imposed the same type of rules towards foreigners there would be uproar.
I take it most of you live in Turkey? or has Lesley and Steve gone back to the UK.
Thank you again for your story.

[scareylady]

Hi again Debbie

Please don't misunderstand me, We know and have met many many Turkish nationals that have bent over backwards to help us for no selfish reason.  They gave knowledge and time over and over again.  The odds are just sooooo stacked against you especially if you are not FLUENT in the language - You can't trust anyones translations - Only YOU know what is important for you to hear for your business!!! ..... I knew enough to buy ingredients, negotiate with cafe and hotel owners etc but not to understand what was being said by everybody at every meeting.  What hurt us was bad advice by people that we trusted and should have been advising us on what to do.....and getting paid good money for that advice.

We have been back in the UK for 4 years now

We made many friends and learnt so very much, Mostly I actually love living in the UK now!!!  Like Scunner ....I still love going to the supermarket and buying whatever I want!!

Good Luck whatever you decide to do

L&S

[Julesp]

FiGs recent bangers and mash night was a huge success with over 70 people attending, we bought the sausages from the Kargi Butcher, they were lovely, nicer than any ive had bought over from the Uk.
People are requseting we have another night soon