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Local Chefs Want Local Food

Wed, 2007-09-26 02:24 — dino

Andi and I were lucky enough to be invited to what probably was one of the first meetings of several Bundaberg Chefs to discuss how they can work together to raise the profile of the culinary craft in Bundaberg. After seeing local chefs cooking with local ingredients, at the recent Bundaberg Multi-Cultural Festival, Andi was able to talk to one of them about how much local food they use. Well it turns out that they try to use as much as possible. They take their profession seriously and quality ingredients are a priority. It certainly made me more keen to eat at their establishments. Their enthusiasm for fresh food was infectious.

Today we put forward the idea of trying to grow that interconnectedness. Between farmer, chef and consumers. Right now there doesn't seem to be an appreciation for local food by consumers when choosing where they eat out. Growing that awareness is an important part of SustainaBundy's goals. And Tourism plays a great role in this as well. Eating local delicacies are one of the fun things I enjoy while traveling. But how many places in Bundy advertise local food on the menu to tourists let alone locals?

On the other hand local producers may not be aware that the demand is there and continue to ship their quality food off to Brisbane, only to have it return and be sold back to those restaurants and cafes with a couple of middlemen in Brisbane taking their markup. Not to mention the fuel costs of the round trip as well. And the fact that the produce is now two days older at least by the time it gets to the chef, that's not fresh!

Over the next few days we'll be trying to talk to some local producers about building stronger relationships with local restaurants and cafes. It may well be difficult as it will take a change in current thinking.
Dean

Comments

gelbat's picture
gelbat
September 26th, 2007

Re: Local Chefs Want Local Food

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">

Hi Dean
 
Good to see you are trying hard to get things to happen locally.
 
I have tried selling to the local supermarkets. We have the best quality cucumbers available, yet the supermarkets are not interested in dealing direct with us. We are (I believe) the second biggest hydroponic cucumber grower in QLD.
 
I know for a fact that local hydroponic tomatoes go down to Brisbane to the markets, then are trucked back up again. This is ludicrous. I also know of cucumbers coming from Adelaide to Brisbane, and Perth to Melbourne. By the time the produce arrives, it has already started to deteriorate. And poor produce drives down prices for the growers, who are already barely even earning a wage.
 
If restaurants want our product, that is fantastic. But quantity would have to justify our time in delivering locally.
 
My idea is to form a local "farmers" market, owned and operated by the farmers. We are sick of being shafted by agents at the big markets. If enough farmers get together, this would work. But traditionally, farmers want to be independent of each other. It comes down to the need for a change of attitude by everyone for this to work.
 
Regards
 
Max
----- Original Message -----
From: dino
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 7:26 PM
Subject: [sustainabundy] Local Chefs Want Local Food

Andi and I were lucky enough to be invited to what probably was one of the first meetings of several Bundaberg Chefs to discuss how they can work together to raise the profile of the culinary craft in Bundaberg. After seeing local chefs cooking with local ingredients, at the recent Bundaberg Multi-Cultural Festival, Andi was able to talk to one of them about how much local food they use. Well it turns out that they try to use as much as possible. They take their profession seriously and quality ingredients are a priority. It certainly made me more keen to eat at their establishments. Their enthusiasm for fresh food was infectious.

Today we put forward the idea of trying to grow that interconnectedness. Between farmer, chef and consumers. Right now there doesn't seem to be an appreciation for local food by consumers when choosing where they eat out. Growing that awareness is an important part of SustainaBundy's goals. And Tourism plays a great role in this as well. Eating local delicacies are one of the fun things I enjoy while traveling. But how many places in Bundy advertise local food on the menu to tourists let alone locals?

On the other hand local producers may not be aware that the demand is there and continue to ship their quality food off to Brisbane, only to have it return and be sold back to those restaurants and cafes with a couple of middlemen in Brisbane taking their markup. Not to mention the fuel costs of the round trip as well. And the fact that the produce is now two days older at least by the time it gets to the chef, that's not fresh!

Over the next few days we'll be trying to talk to some local producers about building stronger relationships with local restaurants and cafes. It may well be difficult as it will take a change in current thinking.
Dean

dino's picture
dino
September 27th, 2007

Re: Local Chefs Want Local Food

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> Hi Max, from the chef conversations it sounds like a coop would be great but a lot of effort. They seemed quite keen for local producers to "sell" them on their products. Literally walk in with samples and say this is what I have to sell.

Another idea was for a new business to exploit - running around the district in little vans - doing a big circuit of farms with orders for so many boxes of different produce here and there. Then coming into town and doing a circuit around town dropping off at each restaurant. The farmer gets paid weekly or monthly from the driver and the delivery company gets paid weekly or monthly from the restaurant. You get the quantity because several restaurants line up. A couple of dollars a box would probably be fair for all parties to pay the "delivery man." Now I have that Cruel Sea song stuck in my head.

" Whatever you want I got it by the dozen
I got it by the pound
Gimme a call. I’ll bring it round"

Which is easier to get started, delivery service or warehouse co-op? Food for thought.
Solar/electric powered vans running around would be neat!

Dean


gelbat wrote:



Hi Dean
 
Good to see you are trying hard to get things to happen locally.
 
I have tried selling to the local supermarkets. We have the best quality cucumbers available, yet the supermarkets are not interested in dealing direct with us. We are (I believe) the second biggest hydroponic cucumber grower in QLD.
 
I know for a fact that local hydroponic tomatoes go down to Brisbane to the markets, then are trucked back up again. This is ludicrous. I also know of cucumbers coming from Adelaide to Brisbane, and Perth to Melbourne. By the time the produce arrives, it has already started to deteriorate. And poor produce drives down prices for the growers, who are already barely even earning a wage.
 
If restaurants want our product, that is fantastic. But quantity would have to justify our time in delivering locally.
 
My idea is to form a local "farmers" market, owned and operated by the farmers. We are sick of being shafted by agents at the big markets. If enough farmers get together, this would work. But traditionally, farmers want to be independent of each other. It comes down to the need for a change of attitude by everyone for this to work.
 
Regards
 
Max