Locally Sourced Ingredients - How Important Are They?

What Does ‘Locally Sourced’ Mean?

Locally sourced ingredients are items that have been purchased nearby from a farmer, fishmonger or any other fresh produce creator. This means that if you, as a restaurant owner or manager, choose to buy all of your meat from a farmer than is located 10 miles away, then you are sourcing locally. After years of involvement and popularity, those that preferred produce from the local area were coined the name “localvore” or “locavore”.

But what exactly does “local” mean? Some say that to fall under the category of local, the farmer you are buying from must be within 100 miles of your business; whereas others would argue that locally sourced ingredients are anywhere within 500 miles. But there is no right or wrong answer.

What is Farm-To-Table?

The farm-to-table movement started to gain mass popularity in the 2000s and relies on being able to trace what is on your plate back to its original producer – whether this is beef steaks from a local farmer, or seafood from a local fishery. This movement aims to get as many business owners as possible to buy produce from their local community instead of sourcing from abroad.

What is The Difference Between Locally Sourced and Organic Produce?

Many people believe locally sourced and organic foods to be the same types of products – possibly due to the benefits of both being relatively similar. But are they actually the same? Whilst ingredients can be locally sourced and organic, they are actually two dissimilar concepts. Let’s have a look at the differences:

Organic

First of all, organic produce has to pass a very specific set of regulations to be labelled organic. These often include the method of growing or rearing produce, the use of responsibly obtained energy, the preservation of ecological balance and the use of ethical practises in creating produce. Because of this, many people prefer to buy organic goods due to the moral and health benefits.

Locally Sourced

Locally sourced ingredients are those that come from farms or growers that are situated nearby to your house, restaurant or supplier. Even though buying locally is full of benefits, unlike organic, locally sourced goods require less restrictions on labelling than organic food. It’s important to note that despite less rigid guidlines, the goods produced by local farmers are usually of a very high quality and full of health and taste benefits.

Both locally sourced and organic produce offer their individual benefits. If you’re looking to profit from the promotion of locally sourced and organic, you’ll need to decide which suits your business the most. For example, a restaurant that focuses on serving hearty food to health-conscious customers, will prefer to use organic produce. Whereas a countryside pub that wants to create rustic dishes may choose to purchase their produce from local farmers.

Why Use Locally Sourced Materials and Ingredients?

There are many benefits to purchasing locally sourced ingredients – benefits that go past what you would assume. If you are going to try to start sourcing locally, then there are three major factors that you should consider:

• Environment
• Food Quality
• Local Economy

Environment

Environmentally friendly practices are highly important to preserving our planet, our wildlife and our health. There has been a large surge in reducing the amount of waste that the hospitality and catering sector produce – such as recycling and reusing goods, and supplying environmentally friendly products. In 2017, the UK imported around 50% of our food – food that can often be grown or produced by local farmers and suppliers all-year-round. All of these imports require transportation which is commonly in the form of planes or ships. These methods of transporting goods play a large part in the increasing amount of carbon dioxide being pumped into our atmosphere and speeding-up global warming. But this can be changed. In buying from local farmers, we help to reduce the requirement for long-distance transport and import costs - saving our planet as well as our money.

Food Quality

The quality of your food is what keeps your customers coming back. Farmers are extremely knowledgeable about when produce is at its optimum growth and taste level, whereas buying from abroad reduces your ability to choose the quality of your produce. This comes at a massive cost for the quality of your products and can drastically change the way that customers will perceive your business.

Sourcing locally however, can massively benefit your business. Due to the lesser need to move goods long-distance, there is no requirement for added preservatives and transport costs are reduced.

Local Economy

The local economy can benefit massively through produce purchased from the nearby area. The majority of income for farmers comes from selling to local restaurants, cafes or wholefood shops. If you buy locally, you are in fact helping the community around you to thrive; with money staying in the pockets of the locals instead of being spent on buying goods abroad. Keeping the local economy healthy aids in offering new opportunities for businesses and therefore jobs.

How to Profit From Locally Sourced Ingredients

With a wide array of benefits to locally sourced goods, you may be thinking, ‘how will this make me money?’. Increasing your profits is based upon two simple variables: the price you charge and the amount of customers you serve.

If you are providing a multitude of high quality meals or individual items, then you are able to charge a premium price. Not only will customers be happy to pay extra for locally sourced goods, but it will bring a positive outlook upon your business that will in-turn increase sales and profits. Let’s take these two menu items for example:

• Rump Steak with Chips
• Somerset Bred Ribeye Beef Steak with Jersey Royal New Potatoes

Which would you rather buy? The additional information adds an interesting and premium touch to your menu that allow guests to know more about what they are eating. This also supplies guests with an opportunity to ask about the ingredients used and where they are sourced from. It’s always worth making sure all staff members are familiar with the menu and have the information about ingredients to hand.

During peak periods, bank holidays and busy weekend shifts your staff should always be able to answer any queries about the food and any potential allergies they may contain. And if you buy locally, then you will be supplied with this information and can improve each guest’s experience.

“There is no such thing as bad publicity” - but when it comes to the hospitality industry, there is. The way in which the public views your business is vital to increasing sales. If it is known that you, as a business, promote buying ingredients from local farmers and helping the community, then you are more likely to appeal to both new and existing customers.

The rustic nature of locally sourced produce is also something that is highly attractive to your customers. If you own a cafe within a small, countryside village or even a country-pub, then adding local root vegetables to your menu is a great way to supply hearty meals to your guests. Most meat, fish and veg that is grown within the UK is winter hardy, meaning that guest favourite dishes can be a constant feature on your menu.

Article: Why not promote your business by posting pictures and captions from visits to local farmers via your Instagram social media pages? Our guide on how to use social media contains all you need to know about improving your media platform.

What Are The Disadvantages of Buying Locally Sourced Foods?

There are clearly many benefits of buying ingredients from local farms, but what about the disadvantages? Farmers can drive a hard bargain. Most of the produce that you buy will be reasonably more expensive than that which you can buy from a large supplier. Although if you agree to a long-term partnership and consistent orders, reductions in price can be negotiated. This means that your outgoings will almost certainly be higher than if your produce is derived from abroad – unless an appropriate deal is made. You may find value in attending local markets and getting to know suppliers personally. This can put you in a higher bargaining position and may help you negotiate a better price for regular supplies.

Even though there are benefits to preservative-free ingredients, it does come at a cost to shelf life. The produce you buy from local farmers will often last a considerable amount less than those that feature added preservatives. This means that the amount of waste you produce may increase, but with efficient food storage this can be limited.

TIP: If you want to counteract reduced shelf times, then vacuum-packing can vastly increase the lifespan of your produce and save you money on wasted food.

Are Locally Sourced Foods Suitable For Everyone?

When it comes to practicality, locally sourced foods may not always be the answer. Unfortunately, until the ingredients become common enough to drive-down prices, many businesses or individuals cannot afford to buy in-bulk from farmers. But this doesn’t mean you can’t find a bargain at your local farmers’ market – most of the produce there will be similarly priced to supermarkets.

Form a relationship with local fishmongers, coffee roasters and farmers, learn about their produce and who knows what discounts and training that you may receive? For example, a local coffee-roaster may offer their barista expertise to you or your staff which can in-turn improve your business.

The only way you are going to know if locally sourced ingredients are right for you is if you conduct your own research and buy the products for yourself. Start small, and bit by bit you will begin to learn about the wide array of produce that is at your doorstep – products that could be part of your next best-selling dish.