Locally sourced ingredients are a great way of improving your food quality and helping the environment. This article will discuss how to use locally-sourced produce to increase profits, and how to get maximum value from the ingredients you buy.
What Does “Locally Sourced” Mean?
Locally sourced ingredients means that the items were bought from a local farmer, fishmonger, or other fresh produce producer. If you as a restaurant manager choose to source all of your meat directly from a farmer that is more than 10 miles away then this means you are sourcing locally. After years of participation and popularity, those who preferred local produce were given the nickname “locavore” or “localvore”.
What exactly is “local”? Some argue that local ingredients must be within 500 miles of your business to qualify as local. Others disagree. There is no right answer.
What is Farm to Table?
In 2000, the popular farm-to table movement became a huge success. You can trace what’s on your plate back from its source. This movement aims at encouraging as many businesses as possible to purchase produce from their local communities, rather than sourcing it from overseas.
What is the difference between organic and locally sourced produce?
Many people believe organic and locally sourced food are the same type of product, perhaps because of the similarities in their benefits. Are they the same? While ingredients can be both organic and locally sourced, they are still two distinct concepts. Let’s look at some of the differences.
Organic
Organic produce must meet a strict set of requirements to be certified organic. These include the method used to grow and rear the produce, responsible energy use, preservation of the ecological balance, ethical production practices, and ethical use of the produce. Organic products are preferred by many because of their moral and health advantages.
Locally Sourced
Locally and carefully sourced ingredients are products that are sourced from growers or farms that are close to your home, restaurant, or supplier. Even though local buying has many advantages, there are some drawbacks. Locally sourced products have fewer restrictions than organic. Local farmers’ goods are often of high quality and offer many health and flavor benefits.
Both organic and locally-sourced produce offer distinct benefits. If you are looking to maximize your profits from the promotion and use of organic and locally sourced produce, you will need to choose which one is most suitable for you. A restaurant that serves healthy, hearty food will choose organic produce. Local farmers may be preferred by a country pub that creates rustic dishes.
Why not use local materials and ingredients
There are many advantages to buying locally-sourced ingredients. These benefits go beyond what you might expect. Three factors are important to remember when you’re looking to source local ingredients.
Environment
Food Quality
Local Economy
Environment
It is vital to practice environmentally-friendly practices in order to preserve the planet, wildlife, health and well-being of our children. There has been an increase in the use of recycling and reusing goods and providing environmentally friendly products. Around 50% of the UK’s food imports were in 2017. This is a large amount of food that can be grown locally and produced by suppliers year-round. All these imports require transport, often in the form ships or planes. These modes of transport are a major factor in the increase in carbon dioxide being pumped into the atmosphere and accelerating global warming. However, this can be altered. By buying from local farmers, you help reduce long-distance transport costs and import costs. This saves our planet as much as it saves our money.
Food Quality
Customers will come back to you if they are satisfied with the quality of your food. Farmers have an excellent sense of when produce is at its peak growth and flavor level. However, buying produce from overseas can reduce your ability to control the quality. This is a huge cost to the quality and perception of your business.
Local sourcing, however, can greatly benefit your company. You don’t need to transport goods long distances so there is less need for preservatives. Also, transportation costs are lower.
Local Economy
Local produce can make a significant contribution to the local economy. Local restaurants, cafes and wholefood shops make up the majority of farmers’ income. Buy local and you will help the community prosper. The money you spend on goods overseas is going back into the local economy. The local economy is healthy and offers new opportunities for businesses, which in turn creates jobs.
How to make a profit from locally sourced ingredients
There are many benefits to local goods. Now you might be wondering, “How can this make me money?” Profits can be increased by two simple variables: how much you charge and how many people you serve.
If you provide a variety of high-quality meals and individual items, you can charge a premium price. Locally sourced goods will not only be a good deal for customers, but will also bring positive outlook to your business which will increase sales and profit. Let’s take two of these menu items.
Rump Steak with Chips
Somerset Bred Ribeye Beef Steak and Jersey Royal New Potatoes
Which would you choose to buy? This adds an interesting, premium touch to your menu and allows guests to find out more about what they are eating. This allows guests to ask questions about the ingredients and source of these products. It’s important to ensure that all staff members are aware of the menu and have the necessary information.
During peak hours, bank holidays, weekend shifts and other busy times, staff should always be available to answer any questions regarding the food or any allergies. Locally-sourced products will allow you to provide information that can be used to enhance the guest’s experience.
There is no such thing “bad publicity”, but there is when it comes to the hotel industry. How the public perceives your business is critical to increasing sales. It is important to make your business known to the public. If you encourage local farmers to buy ingredients and help the community, you will attract more customers.
Your customers will love the rustic quality of locally sourced produce. You can offer hearty meals to your customers by adding local root vegetables to a cafe or pub in the countryside. The majority of meat, fish, and vegetables grown in the UK are winter-hardy. This means that guests can enjoy their favourite dishes on your menu.
Article: Post photos and captions about your visits to farmers on your Instagram page. You can find all the information you need about how to improve your social media platforms in our guide to using social media.
What are the Disadvantages to Buying Locally Sourced Foods
Although there are obvious benefits to purchasing ingredients from local farmers, what about the drawbacks? Farmers can drive a hard bargain. You will pay a lot more for the produce that you purchase than you would from a large supplier. You can negotiate price cuts if you have a long-term relationship and regular orders. This means that your costs will be more than if your produce was sourced from abroad, unless you make a good deal. Attending local markets and getting to get to know your suppliers may be worth it. This will put you in a stronger bargaining situation and allow you to negotiate a lower price for regular supplies.
Although there are many benefits to using preservative-free products, they do have a shorter shelf life. Produce from local farmers is likely to last significantly longer than produce with preservatives. The result is that your waste can increase. However, efficient food storage can help to limit this.
TIP: Vacuum packing can dramatically increase shelf life and help you save money on food waste.
Are locally sourced foods suitable for everyone?
Locally-sourced foods are not always practical. Unfortunately, businesses and individuals will not be able to purchase in-bulk directly from farmers until these ingredients are more common. This doesn’t mean you can not find a bargain at your local farmer’s market. Most of the produce will be similar to what you’d find in supermarkets.
You can build a relationship and learn from local farmers, fishmongers and coffee roasters. Who knows what discounts you may get. You or your staff may be able to get their barista skills from a local coffee-roaster, which can help you grow your business.
Locally sourced ingredients will only be known if you do your own research and actually buy them. Start small and you’ll soon discover the vast array of produce right in front of you. These could be ingredients that make your next best-selling dish.
