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Time and again, we have thought about whether the farm-to-table movement is just something that millennials love, or is it here to stay for the long haul. After analyzing the trends and witnessing the movement creating a storm around the world first-hand, we can attest that this concept will become part and parcel of the restaurant industry.
Given the buzz around the movement and its focus on using fresh, locally grown, seasonal produce, it is essential for restaurant businesses to keep an eye on its fledgling growth, if it wants to stay competitive. This can be done by reading up about the movement and attending food summits of 2022. In this blog, we will give you a quick overview of this landscape:
What Is The Farm-To-Table Movement All About?
Also known as farm-to-fork, this concept revolves around restaurants getting their primary ingredients from nearby farms. Restaurant owners usually partner with farmers to ensure that they get the best quality seasonal produce for their patrons.
This is in direct contrast to traditional ways of running restaurant kitchens, wherein one sources ingredients from around the world. However, as pointed out by several food safety professionals at recent food and beverage conferences, to make the long journey, food items have to either be frozen or loaded with preservatives. This not only affects the taste of the ingredient but also brings down its nutritional value.
Meanwhile, farm-to-table restaurants have great ingredients to work with. The produce is vibrant, plucked fresh, and ripe, meant to be savored with minimal intervention of sauces and other complex ingredients. The food is supposed to talk to you with its inherent flavors!
Journey Down The History Lane
It is important to note here that until the Industrial Revolution (which also led to 8-hour workdays becoming a thing), consuming locally sourced food was the way of life. However, as people started migrating to industrialized cities with better connectivity, food items from other parts of the world were made available. At the same time, Americans also leaned towards processed food items, given that it’s available quickly and is affordable too.
But in the 1960s, this changed. With the counterculture movement creating a stir against rampant commercialization, the focus on farm-fresh food returned. This led to the launch of several restaurants in cities such as Berkeley, Seattle, and Boulder, with their prime highlight being locally sourced produce. Ever since then, the movement has grown to be a global phenomenon.
Advantages
As discussed at several food and beverage conferences, there are numerous pros of running a farm-to-table restaurant. Let’s look at some of them:
It can do wonders for the local economy and help revive local businesses after the COVID-19 pandemic.
You won’t have to worry about supply chain problems.
Produce will be more affordable since transportation and preservation charges are slashed off.
If your restaurant does well, you can also partner with local farmers and give them suggestions regarding what crop to grow for you.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, people have become more attentive to their nutritional needs, which is why many are making a conscious shift to eating healthy. Because of this emerging trend, farm-to-fork outlets are all the rage at the moment. This means more customers and profits for your business!
It shows that you care and also positions your business as a reputable brand in the community.
It is environment-friendly.
Conclusion
As we can see, the move towards healthy eating will only grow in the coming years, which will inevitably lead to more farm-to-fork restaurants. What interventions have been taking place in the F&B industry to cater to this new development? To learn more about this, do get your passes for the Food 2.0 Conference!
Tarun Wadhera loves to read food reviews and explore hidden, off-beat restaurants all around the city. After work, you can find Tarun trying out craft beers and understanding how to distinguish pure, authentic caviar from all the scams and fakes out there.
