To share or not to share...favorite recipes

[Country Girl]

For the most part I am happy to share my recipes with guests. But there are a few exceptions; those being the recipes that are either my own or have been in my family for a very long time and have become my signature dishes. Do you share ALL your best recipes with your guests?

 

[EmptyNest]

I made up my own little cookbook with all the recipes we served. Sold it for a $3. If someone asked for a recipe, I just told them it is in the cookbook if they want to buy one, or if they just want the recipe, to copy it for themselves. Most of the time they just picked up my cookbook.

 

[Morticia]

Yes. I will print the recipe out on one of my notecards. It will never taste the same at their house anyway. However, I do know what you mean about 'special' family recipes.
I asked about that in an innkeeping class and said, 'Can't I just say it's an old family recipe that I can't give out?' The instructor said that usually ticks off the guest and makes you sound snooty.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I think the beauty of a B&B stay is to have some nice food, something you probably wouldn't fix at home. I never like it when someone asks for a recipe. I think that should be part of the B&B repertoire only. That is just me. I will give them out of course, but sometimes, let's face it there may be a short cut in there that is "innkeeper's secret" like the packet of hollandaise this morning for the eggs bennie. It still is half a cup of butter and a cup of milk! So mostly from my making. (Yes I am using the asparagus)

Edited to add - It is a hit! They loved it and she (who loves asparagus also) nudged him and said "DON't GET USED TO THIS! You aren't getting this at home!" I said "You will just have to come back again"

 

[DaisyMae]

last summer we had a couple who stayed with us for 10 days. they were pleasant, lots of fun & very much the type that you hope comes back someday because they were such nice guests. One morning we had muffins, that was my version of a recipe from one of the online directories. (i changed the flavor of yogurt & the berries in it) these muffins are always loved by guests when we have them, it is a really great recipe. so anyway, a couple days after they checked out, she emailed to ask if she could have the recipe to make for her friends. i said sure & that i would get it out to her in the next couple of days. i told her then that it was not my own original recipe and told her where to find it online.
well, seeing as it was the busiest time of year (when my chore list is longer than hours in the day) i didn't get a chance to send it in the next couple of days. she emailed again & seemed very upset. she proceeded to tell me that they did us a big favor by staying at our place, they could have stayed somewhere else & if i wanted to keep the recipe a secret i should have just said so instead of telling her i would send it when i had no intention of it. huh!?
i emailed her & told her that i simply had been very busy & just had not gotten a chance. again, mentioned that it was not my original recipe so i had no reason to keep it a secret.
funny how when someone really wants a B&B's recipe, they really want it!

 

[NW BB]

I make my own little cookbook. The front and back cover are my postcard (4x6) and I just print my recipes that I keep on the computer. I do a 2 hole punch on the left side and use a pretty ribbon to tie it together. I sell it for $6. The only problem is I can't keep enough in stock!
Yes, I also have old family recipes I don't give out. If I have served one of those special recipes and the guest is buying the cookbook, I tell them that the item they had is not in the book and that I was sworn to secrecy by my family. I've never had a guest have a problem with that. Also, my "innkeeper secret shortcuts" are not in the book, and like someone said, it always tastes different when they make it. By the way, I have a hollandaise recipe in the recipe book, but I do the same as JBJ and use the packet. They don't know the difference!
BTW, it adds up to hundreds of dollars over the year for the sale of cookbooks. Definitely worth the time it takes to create them.

 

[Samster]

I printed up the oversized postcards from VistaPrint with a muffin recipe that is always a big hit. It's so easy and it's pretty regional so I can't be secretive about it. lol! I'll give those to the guests if they want it.
Most of the recipes I'll share. But like JBJ, sometimes there's a little shortcut in there that I don't necessarily like to own up to.

I usually make a joke and tell them that I could give them the recipe, but then I'd have to do away with them. Gets some laughs

 

[seashanty]

i shared ... always ... i think it's great marketing. just think, when they pull out that recipe to make it and say 'we had this yummy *** at *** b&b'
i used cards that are microperfed ... so i could print in the printer ... with the inn name etc. on them as an advert. and then the recipe. i bought the bunch of them from ebay. but i think they came from paperdirect.
i have my own favorite *disclaimer* .... like with the quiche recipe ... '' flavor varies slightly depending on what cheeses i have on hand. "

 

[happyjacks]

i shared ... always ... i think it's great marketing. just think, when they pull out that recipe to make it and say 'we had this yummy *** at *** b&b'
i used cards that are microperfed ... so i could print in the printer ... with the inn name etc. on them as an advert. and then the recipe. i bought the bunch of them from ebay. but i think they came from paperdirect.
i have my own favorite *disclaimer* .... like with the quiche recipe ... '' flavor varies slightly depending on what cheeses i have on hand. "

.

I like to share recipes too. I'm a recipe junkie myself so I have to share when asked. I respect when people don't want to part with a family recipe, of course, but for me it's a way to honour grandma or whomever passed the recipe on to me.
I'm working on a cookbook and I occasionally post recipes on my blog. I had a guest this weekend tell me she made the chocolate souffle recipe I posted recently. I also put a note and photo about that recipe on my facebook page (with a link to my blog) and 3 of my fans 'liked' it, so hopefully their friends will see the newsfeed and possibly check me out. I don't know if it'll help business, but it can't hurt!

 

[scrambled_eggs]

I share all of my recipes except for my chocolate chips cookies. Nothing else is really a secret.

 

[Ethbay]

Whenever a customer at my restaurant asks for a recipe, I provide it but I usually don't include all of my secret seasonings. After all, I want them to come back for MY food. Yeah, that's somewhat selfish on my part but it's a business after all. Leave out those things that you feel give it your signature (nothing, of course, that would make the meal inedible). When they make it at home, the dish will still be tasty but they'll pout because they're not as good a cook as you. LOL Just kidding...a little.
Seriously though...they'll come back and say, "Y'know, I made it at home but it just wasn't the same". You can blame it on the atmosphere.