When the Bathurst on a Plate charity cookbook launched last month, the Bathurst Beaters group would've been satisfied to sell 300 copies in a year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In just six weeks, the sale figure has already tripled that.
Bathurst on a Plate has, to date, sold around 900 copies, equating to a total fundraising figure of $40,000, including extra donations.
"We're just in awe, we still can't believe it," Bathurst Beaters secretary Julie Allen said.
"All of our publishing costs are paid for, so the entire figure we end up raising will go towards the NSW Cancer Council."
Ms Allen said the group has received immense online support for the cookbook's promotion from Charles Sturt University [CSU], courtesy of communications lecturer Victoria Erskine and her team of marketing students.
"They've created a Facebook page for the cookbook, and the students have come up with some fantastic promotional ideas," she said.
"If it wasn't for them, this initiative may not have achieved the success it has so far."
Ms Allen said an international standard book number [ISBN] has been purchased for the cookbook to be registered with the National Library of Australia.
"It's such a pleasure to see everyone commenting on the fantastic dishes, and we're so thankful for all the local businesses who have actively promoted the book," she said.
The book is dedicated to the late Bathurst Beaters president, Noorjehan Merchant, and is edging closer to its $50,000 fundraising goal.
Councillor Jacqui Rudge, who is also the vice president of the Bathurst Beaters group, said the success of the cookbook has encouraged people to enhance their cooking skills.
"We were in the middle of COVID-19 when we received the book from the publisher, and with a number of people looking for ways to fill their time during the lockdown, the release ended up working in our favour," Cr Rudge said.
"The Bathurst community deserves to be commended for their outstanding support, even in such a difficult time."
Cr Rudge said the buzz around the cookbook has remained constant since its launch.
"I'm still receiving phone calls and messages from local businesses willing to take the cookbooks on consignment and sell them for us," she said.
"The process has been a combination of good will and the drive to support a worthwhile cause."
For more information on where to purchase the cookbook, visit the Bathurst on a Plate Facebook page.
For all things Bathurst in the one place, sign up now to our free morning headlines email!
Sam Bolt
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
