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Farm to table webcast slideshare
- 1. The Operational Impact of Farm to Table These slides are from a webcast from Foodservice Equipment & Supplies magazine. The archive of the webcast with audio is available for free and in full at this link: www.fesmag.com/farm2table
- 2. Today’s Objectives Define what farm to table means in today’s foodservice industry Discuss the operational implications of building menus based on fresh, locally produced food Explore the barriers to making this transition and list some ways to overcome them Learn from some of the industry’s best and brightest minds
- 3. Meet Our Panelists Paul Kahan Executive Chef & Partner avec, The Publican Chicago Phillip Lopez Executive Chef & Owner Root New Orleans John Turenne President & Founder Sustainable Food Systems Wallingford, Ct.
- 6. What is Farm to Table? Fresh food to table Real food challenge where the operator addresses: Sustainability Where food comes from Fair labor And more
- 7. What is Farm to Table? Consumers are refining their palettes and demanding higher quality products To meet this demand foodservice operators need to: Handle food properly Maximize freshness, flavor and nutrition
- 8. What is Farm to Table? It’s about great flavor and taking things one step further Working with producers to find what’s best for your menu A total holistic approach to running a foodservice operation In some instances it may cost more but it’s worth it
- 9. Five Obstacles with Farm to Table 1. Infrastructure 2. Personnel buy in and knowledge 3. Technique 4. Cost 5. Understanding and Knowledge
- 10. Does fresh and local equal expensive? It does not have to cost more Think seasonally Structure menus based on cost effectiveness Focus on quality instead of choice Less is more: use an ingredient as many ways as possible while at its peak Get creative!
- 11. Driving Creativity and Cost Effectiveness Be resourceful to maximize the efficient use of each ingredient and limit waste For example, one carrot can have six different uses It’s a shared responsibility, so get everyone involved
- 12. Back-of-the-House Adjustments Does not have to be too expensive Turn walk-in freezers into refrigerators Examine existing coolers to make sure they are up to the task Might need more cutting boards, knives, storage items, salad spinners, etc.
- 13. Back-of-the-House Adjustments Kitchen now divided almost in half with one side for breaking down product as it is delivered Adjusted delivery schedule to make more efficient use of labor Lots of technology available to help take this to the next level, including vacuum machines and immersion circulators
- 14. Back-of-the-House Adjustments Have the right equipment to treat the product correctly and that includes refrigeration Attention to detail is very important Storage space is at a premium Chefs are accountable for food cost and that’s impacted by how they handle the ingredients
- 15. Before Product Arrives After Product Arrives Develop and maintain a relationship with your vendors Implement quality standards Establish inventory rules for how much is delivered and when Track everything Prepare the product and serve it right away Train entire staff to know specific quality standards Maintaining a Food-Safe Environment
- 16. Conduct a 5 Point Assessment The Green Wheel of Sustainability 1. Food: Where does it come from? Seasonal? Nutritional value? 2. Facility and infrastructure 3. Community 4. Communication 5. Performance: financial and nutritional Getting Started with Farm to Table
- 17. Getting Started with Farm to Table Know your style of cooking Look at how you source your ingredients and know your farmers’ growing schedules Know the fundamentals of cooking Learn as much about one ingredient as you can Take staff into the field to learn more Try to learn something new every day Relationship between the farm and the food and the chef translates into flavor
- 18. Mistakes to Avoid Don’t label something as house made. It should always be that way If the product is not good don’t serve it Keep in mind quality control starts from the moment the product enters your doors
- 19. More Keys to Farm to Table Success Allow flexibility in your menu Talk to chefs in the community and learn where they source their food Promote a team environment Professionalism is paramount: train your staff so they what to do and why Adhere to your quality standards Top-down approach is key
- 20. Overcoming Obstacles Implementing Farm to Table Existing operators may require a culture change Staff buy-in is critical Know your options Manage and track your expenses Look at the size and scope of the menu Baby steps can lead to toddler steps and you will be running before you know it
- 21. Questions from the Audience
- 22. Today’s Key Lessons Learned Farm to table is really more about fresh and local Starts from the top down Embrace a spirit of constant learning and teamwork You don’t need to invest a lot in infrastructure to get started Flavor + nutrition + proper execution = Quality
- 23. Thanks to Our Sponsors
- 26. Future Webcast Ideas We are listening, too! Send your ideas for future webcasts to: Joe Carbonara joe@zoombagroup.com
- 27. The Operational Impact of Farm to Table These slides are from a webcast from Foodservice Equipment & Supplies magazine. The archive of the webcast with audio is available for free and in full at this link: www.fesmag.com/farm2table
- 28. Thanks for Listening Visit Us Online at: www.fesmag.com and www.rddmag.com Follow Us on Twitter: @FESMagazine, @FES_Editor
Editor's Notes
- When it comes to local sourcing or putting a sustainability program together for freshly breaded foods, Bettcher has a profitable, labor-saving solution for all of your breading needs. Learn more at:http://bettcher.com/local-source
- Groen is proud to support local Farmers and Chefs who bring seasonally fresh and nutritious foods to menus across the USA. Groen products are perfect for keeping the freshness and nutrition within these tasty foods.
- In your own words, describe what farm to table means.John: Fresh food to table is really more accurate. Does not necessarily have the ring but farm to table has, but it is fresh and real.It’s more of a Real Food Challenge: Developed a criteria defining what this means to each operator that includes where it comes from, fair labor practices, sustainability. It’s about the stories behind the food.
- Phillip: All of the food we consume has to start out on a farm somewhere. It’s sort of over labeling something. Makes it sound like a fad but cooking and eating is something we need to do to survive.Everyone is more educated on food. More educated on techniques. As a result, consumers are refining their palettes and demanding higher quality products. To do this you to handle it properly to maximize freshness, flavor and nutrition.
- Paul adds:First and foremost it is about great flavor. Yes, all food is farm to table but today we are taking it one step further and have a greater understanding of where it came from.Working with producers to set aside the best/right product for your menu. It’s also an opportunity to go to a provider to understand what they are doing and why. I have never known it any other way. My normal reaction: isn’t that the way you should run your restaurant. There is no other way. The extra effort from our book keepers to the staff is worth it. It’s a total holistic approach. Impacts the entire operation, not just ingredient ordering
- What are some of obstacles operators face in moving in this direction?John: There are five main obstacles:1. Infrastructure, meaning equipment and how the facilities are set up.2. Personnel buy in and knowledge3. Technique4. Cost5. Understanding and knowledgePhillip adds: This is something that everyone can do. You can produce some of the best food in the world or an aspiring chef and still embrace the fresh and local philosophy. That’s because 90 percent of the work is done by the food. 10 percent chef’s creativity in cooking, preserving, presenting, execution.
- One of the common knocks on incorporating more fresh ingredients into menu development is that it costs more to do this. Is that the case? John: No, it does not have to cost more if you do it the right way. But the comparison is not always apples to apples. Start thinking seasonally so you can be more cost effective food locally.Structure your menus based on what you can get at the most cost effective price. Focus on quality instead of choice. Keep it simple but keep it good.Less is more: change up your menu a lot by focusing on the best possible product you can get right now.Take an ingredient at its peak and use it as many ways as you can. And when it is out of season, don’t serve it. Get creative!
- Phillip: When we buy local and fresh, we have to bite the bullet a little bit. We have to be more efficient with everything that comes in the door. We have to be more resourceful to limit waste. Let’s take a carrot for example. It may be one carrot but we have six different preparations of it. We use tops to make a syrup for carrot cake and we use the peelings for crispys that go on to the plate. It’s cost effective and gives us the insight to use it differently. And this is a shared responsibility. Not just my job but everyone’s job in the kitchen to think of five different ways to use this carrot.
- OK, let’s talk about back of the house adjustments operators may need to make. If the operation is transitioning to work with items straight from the field from dealing with already prepped items that come in cans or frozen, it will impact how they store and handle items, right?John: Yes, there will be some back of the house adjustments but chances are you do not need to build a new kitchen or invest in significant capital equipment.Sometimes it’s just investing in light equipment or smallwares (immersion blenders, choppers, slicers, etc.)You have raw carrots coming in the back door vs. frozen carrots. How are you going to handle?Yes, there are produce washing equipment but you might not need that just yetThere are products that can take raw or whole products and turn them into what we used to getSome clients have turned freezers into walk-ins because using less fresh.Storage systems: examine them to make sure the coolers can store themMore pots and pans, cutting boardsSalad spinners, because now getting in more whole heads of greensWork tables
- Phillip: Used to have smaller receiving areas, maybe a table or two. Now the kitchen is almost divided in half, with one side dedicated for breaking down, washing and putting away ingredients. More space allocated for food storage, too. And every concept created moving forward will have that.Biggest change is technology. Vacuum machines, immersion circulators. These little things have become great assets to chefs. Help with presentation and storage. Blast chillers are helpful in some instances, too. We also have a schedule of when we get our deliveries from the farmers and schedule our team around that.
- Paul adds: It’s about the right equipment to treat the product correctly and that includes refrigeration and storage areasAttention to detail is important because storage is always a challenge. You never have enough space to store everything. We are fortunate that everything goes quickly. Chefs are all accountable for food cost numbers and that’s affected by how they treat and process product. We look at those numbers every single week. Chefs can see them every day.
- Food safety is a critical issue for any operators. What are some ways you try to maintain a food-safe environment while using the freshest possible products?Paul: It starts well before the product arrives at your back door. We get to know the majority of the vendors well by visiting them in the field and at farmers’ markets. Once we establish that relationship, we invest in keeping it strong by having regular visits and even having dinners or events with them. That way you know the product is of high quality. All of our kitchens are small, which helps. At bigger operations stuff gets tucked back into the corner and gets lost. We don’t have that luxury. Product comes in, we prepare it and serve it.Everyone is trained to know that you smell everything, you look at every dish and toss the ones that don’t fit our quality profile. Meat and fish are the most perishable. Specialized staff check everything. Have seven different HAACP plans at the butcher shop. Stick to those standards because they are a make or break thing. Fish, we check the internal temperature. Understand the quality. Produce: Observe and make sure it is kept properly and wash it. When new purveyors come on board we are experienced enough to look at a product to know how it was treated and to see the quality. We have rules about how much we want delivered, too. Helps manage inventory
- Food safety is a critical issue for any operators. What are some ways you try to maintain a food-safe environment while using the freshest possible products?Paul: It starts well before the product arrives at your back door. We get to know the majority of the vendors well by visiting them in the field and at farmers’ markets. Once we establish that relationship, we invest in keeping it strong by having regular visits and even having dinners or events with them. That way you know the product is of high quality. All of our kitchens are small, which helps. At bigger operations stuff gets tucked back into the corner and gets lost. We don’t have that luxury. Product comes in, we prepare it and serve it.Everyone is trained to know that you smell everything, you look at every dish and toss the ones that don’t fit our quality profile. Meat and fish are the most perishable. Specialized staff check everything. Have seven different HAACP plans at the butcher shop. Stick to those standards because they are a make or break thing. Fish, we check the internal temperature. Understand the quality. Produce: Observe and make sure it is kept properly and wash it. When new purveyors come on board we are experienced enough to look at a product to know how it was treated and to see the quality. We have rules about how much we want delivered, too. Helps manage inventory
- Phillip adds: Know style of cooking and what you want to make. Look at how you source your ingredients. And then you establish a relationship with your vendors. Know your farmers’ harvest calendars. This is important because you can use these calendars for menu planning and you can adjust accordingly.You don’t need the fancy equipment to do this. You have to be able to think on your feet. Know the fundamentals of cooking to go into this next phase of cooking.Know as much about one single ingredient and then move on to the next. Remember that knowledge is power. You need to learn something new every day. Taking staff in the field to learn gives them more insight and allows them think creatively. We have to make time to do this because that relationship between the farm and the chef and the food translates into the flavor. We have to be open to learning more, too. You have to teach yourself. It’s a whirlwind experience.
- What are some mistakes operators should avoid?Phillip: Don’t label the produce as fresh or food as house made. It should be that way.If the product is not good don’t serve it. When product turns it is dangerous for your guests and damages your restaurant. Quality is important. Starts from the moment it enters the door and goes from there.
- Paul adds: Allow yourself flexibility in your menu. The food has to be seasonal. Set up a system so you can modify and change your menu daily.Go to your local farmers’ market. Taste those products and get to know them.Talk to chef’s in the community. Get to know where they source from. We want our farmers to sell more product to ultimately bring our price down. Have an all for one, one for all philosophy.It requires a great level of professionalism. We supervise them. We train them. We pay a lot of attention to them to make sure they understand what we are doing and why.
- John, earlier, you had mentioned some obstacles operators might encounter. Can you describe some ways they can overcome them? John: Keep in mind for existing operations this can be a change in culture and you have to understand how you are making that change and getting them to buy in and understand. Staff buy-in: One way is to invest in training. Sometimes it’s as simple as getting them out on to a farm to get them to see where food comes from. Any place that will help reconnect that food has a story behind it. Culinary boot camps that put staff through training on how to cook. Enforces technique and theory. Show them some not so good theories. Might be some special meals or event that highlight what you are doing and why. This helps get people thinking differently. Understanding the options: tap into state dept. of ag.; most have a seasonality calendar that outlines what’s available when. Look at other non-profits, like Northeast Organic Farmers Association.Financial: How are you managing and tracking your weekly operating expenses. If you don’t have a finger on the pulse you won’t be able to measure performance. Look at scope and size of current menu to trim certain options to allow for a focus on quality instead of quality.At Yale, went with a baby steps approach. And then that became toddler steps. It’s constant improvement. Do one thing more!
- When it comes to local sourcing or putting a sustainability program together for freshly breaded foods, Bettcher has a profitable, labor-saving solution for all of your breading needs. Learn more at:http://bettcher.com/local-source
- Groen is proud to support local Farmers and Chefs who bring seasonally fresh and nutritious foods to menus across the USA. Groen products are perfect for keeping the freshness and nutrition within these tasty foods.