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There was a time in history when people didn’t take pictures of the meals that they ate. Shockingly, they just ate. There was also a time when everything anyone ate was local. This now seems like a really long time ago. Today, some consumers have more contact with packaged food than they do with actual from-the-earth items. We have come a long way and not in the right direction.
However, people have wanted to eat better for a long time. Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Most people would agree that they would like to be healthy. As much as people might think they want to go against the grain, people generally like to follow the grain. Make local eating go the direction of the grain by using local foods as the base for your menu.
Our extensive list will outline why you should do this, but in short: It benefits you. It benefits your customers. It benefits the world at large. How many other decisions have the capacity to be so far-reaching?
Your food travels less to get to your kitchen.
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You may wonder how long your food travels to get to your customer’s plates and the answer can be staggering. Foods can be imported and exported that don’t even need to be and something as simple as a sugar packet can have 10,000 miles under its belt. Local food normally covers food that is grown or raised 100 miles from your restaurant. That’s better.
It tastes better.
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The ultimate point is that your recipes will seem new-and-improved with nary a tweak in sight. Crops are picked at their peak, likely within days of you receiving them. When it comes to food, local is often the freshest choice. Imported produce can be picked weeks before it is ripe and often the taste, texture and color have not fully developed. Restaurant chefs all love fresh and high-quality products. Local gets them there.
Marketability in this new era of eating.
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Locally sourced everything is becoming the buzz topic of the year. American diners are increasingly craving food grown in their own region. The National Restaurant Association’s chef survey “What’s Hot in 2014” found that locally sourcing was number four on the top ten trends. Trumpet your local purchasing and your customers will realize how cool you are. Next: your kids (good luck with that).
Increases customer awareness.
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It is one thing to read about the power of local foods and it is quite another to taste them. By making customers aware of local through their senses, you can have a direct part in strengthening the food system. It may be time to don a superhero cape.
Care for your customers and they will care for you.
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As the theory of local expands, so does the need for personal interaction. People want to feel cared for, even if your restaurant is bustling. Fresher produce means that you are giving more nutrition to your customers. As soon as a piece of fruit is picked, it starts to lose vitamins such as A, C, E and B. Get that same piece of fruit on their plate faster and they are automatically living healthier lives – and they have you to thank for it.
Reduce carbon footprint.
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Transportation accounts for 11% of the carbon emissions caused by food production. Bring your carbon “foodprint” way down and you are doing your part to reduce the carbon emissions that can get absorbed by plants and trees.
Cooking seasonally (get creative with your menu).
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Preparing great menus is all about the great ingredients. With local food, you will be forced to work with, rather than against, the seasons. You may want to offer multiple menus for multiple times of the year and celebrate the bounty that comes each quarter. It’s asparagus time? Hurray!
Make a difference and support local economies.
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Buying local food is an investment in an economy’s future. It is investing in where you live and where you have put roots down. Bring your patriotism to the kitchen.
Get more bang for your grocery buck.
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It is a fallacy that local is always more expensive. In many cases, local foods are not more expensive than their non-local counterparts. In some cases, local food can be cheaper due to those reduced transportation costs. For example, $2.50 can buy four large local leeks, but when they are imported from Mexico the cost is $3.99. The more we buy locally, the cheaper it will get.
Local extends beyond fruits and vegetables.
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Stores are making their own cheese and milling their own flours. Cuts of meat come from smaller, humane, and more controlled conditions. Healthier, greener, more compassionate and more delicious food can be a realistic future for everyone.
Just hug a tree, already.
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Changing the way you interact and buy the food for your restaurant can change the environment in small ways. Locally produced food means no airplane trips and less truck trips to get food to plate. A little hippie goes a long way.
Local farmers need you to have their back.
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Local farmers who sell directly to your restaurant can get better prices for their food and keep operating. Supporting your community’s farmers is easier than ever. There are even apps out there that can help you find the best local food in your area.
More variety through biodiversity
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Multinational corporations have their place, but if you are looking for variety you must go to the farmers that run community supported agricultural programs or sell at local restaurants. More biodiversity means more enticing ingredients in your kitchen. Yes, please.
Local foods promote food safety.
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Large-scale farming cannot always control the safety factor of the food that makes its way to your kitchen. Happily, local foods are a safer option due to fewer pesticides, better food quality, and less post-harvest handling.
It benefits the entire local economy.
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Local food systems do benefit the surrounding community at large. An increase in the local food movement has also aided in the creation of new jobs, both on and off the farm. In Iowa, 103 local farmers reported $10 million in local food sales in a 2012 Iowa study. That’s a nice chunk of change.
It boosts the health of your customers.
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The nutrient value of fruits and vegetables is significantly higher when they are picked ripe. Even if your customers change nothing else in their diets, this could have a positive impact. Local food often does not require the additions of synthetic preservatives to keep them “fresh.” Truly fresh food needs no mask.
Many people equate local with higher quality.
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Shout it from the rooftops: my food is local! Customers will associate this with a higher quality product. They are seeking fresher, local food and you are giving it to them. Well done, you.
Get to know your community through local food.
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If you feel lonely, it is because you just aren’t going to get any good conversation from the vegetables at the supermarket. When you become a part of the local food movement, it is an easy way to meet like minded people who love food as much as you do. These people will care about the nuances of a potato and understand you in a way that few others do. Local is an automatic community. Hug it out.
It may inspire you to grow a garden.
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Rubbing the dirt off your just-picked veggies may have you wondering: could you become hyperlocal? Kitchen and rooftop gardens are a way to assure your customers that they are absolutely participating in the local food movement. At the very least, plant some herbs. Eventually your passion may grow into a greenhouse.
Did we mention that it tastes better?
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Enough said.