How to source the best of British for your hospitality business

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British Food Fortnight

Consumer tastes are changing and the demand for British produce is growing. In fact, 90% of people want to see more food produced in the UK, and 70% are actively trying to eat more seasonal, local produce. What’s more, it’s been proven that customers will pay more for dishes in restaurants if they know the ingredients were locally sourced.

Building short, local supply chains not only caters for this growing consumer demand but it also has many additional benefits for hospitality businesses. This British Food Fortnight (Sep 26th to Oct 12th), we’re shining a light on brilliant British Food, to encourage hospitality businesses to order more locally and reap the rewards, to grow their customer base and boost their profits.

The benefits of buying British

– Less travel time means fresher produce. Our varied and mild climate enables farmers to produce a wide variety of produce that changes with every season. With abundant local crops, the time it takes to get these ingredients from farm to fork is greatly reduced, promoting high levels of nutrient availability and better mineral content.

– It supports your local economy and community. Supporting local producers and suppliers boosts your local economy, builds strong community bonds and helps the British produce in your area to flourish. This can lead to a greater depth of local entrepreneurship and a wider diversity of products available, right on your doorstep.

– Seasonal produce is cheap and abundant. With our varied weather comes an abundance of different crops each season. This produce is also much more affordable as it requires less additional resources and shipping than ingredients grown out of season.

– It supports British farmers. Farmers in the UK are facing increasing pressure, with growing financial strain. By buying British, you’ll not only support our economy, but you’ll also back farmers to help retain their businesses and build their future.

– It’s more sustainable. Transport accounts for 19% of total global food system CO2 emissions and air miles make up 7% of our country’s total transport emissions. Sourcing locally drastically reduces transport emissions. Buying in season also reduces energy consumption by using less artificial heat and light to produce food.

How can hospitality businesses ensure they are sourcing the best possible British ingredients to better cater for their customers?

Build meaningful relationships with suppliers
Be selective when choosing local suppliers and get to know their practices. Why not arrange a visit for your front and back of house staff to the farm or production site, to truly help your team understand the quality of the produce and grasp what each ingredient means to each supplier.

Sharing a passion for the produce with suppliers will undoubtedly shine through in the dishes your chefs create for your menu, appealing to customers who are looking for the ‘farm-to-fork’ story. Building strong relationships will also help to boost supply chains, ensuring a more reliable service and more flexible deliveries, as well as supporting your local economy.

Understand how your ingredients are produced
The welfare of animals we eat has never been more important to consumers. In fact, 90% of people want to see more transparency in ingredient labelling, and the high animal welfare standards in Britain remain the biggest driver of consumer trust in the food system.

Speak directly with suppliers to understand the environmental impact of their products, and build transparency across your menus. From the energy and water used to produce the food and its effects on local ecosystems and soil quality, to the miles it must travel to be consumed, understanding the impact of the food your business buys will help promote more sustainable processes, appealing to eco-conscious diners.

Take advantage of Britain’s diverse produce
Enable your kitchen staff to get creative! Thinking seasonally will not only save your business money, but it will also help to save on food waste by utilising underrated and underused ingredients.

We are lucky to have some of the world’s most sought-after Heritage breeds of meat from specialist local farmers, so you should maximise the opportunity to use them. Why not pair special cuts with fruit and vegetables sourced from the same area or use local honey with its unique regional flavour? There are so many options for creating an exciting and enticing menu for your customers by utilising high-quality ingredients found on your doorstep.

Reduce food waste by challenging your chefs to use different parts of the animal and cross-utilise ingredients to create something unique to capture a new audience.

Make British produce part of your customer experience
Your menu is your greatest marketing tool, so why not use it to tell your story? Share supplier stories, photos and quotes from local farmers to support your ‘farm-to-fork’ ethos and educate customers as to exactly where their food is coming from.

Make sure wait staff receive comprehensive training on the ingredients your business uses, to facilitate meaningful conversations with customers about your menu and its origin stories, leaving a lasting impression.

Happy customers will support your marketing efforts through positive reviews and word-of-mouth. However, also consider utilising social media, email marketing and posters to advertise your use of British produce and demonstrate your commitment to supporting local suppliers and sustainable practices.

Consider a kitchen garden
The ultimate tool in sustainable procurement!

Kitchen gardens are gaining major traction in the culinary world, as more consumers seek to incorporate seasonal ingredients into their dining. Not only does growing your own produce tick this box, but it also creates a talking point among customers and provides a potential extra revenue stream for guided tours with your chefs.

Growing your own fruit, vegetables and herbs will provide more flavour, more nutrients and absolutely zero food miles.

Use technology
Every F&B business wants to streamline its ordering processes and cut the time its chefs spend on admin, so they can focus on producing memorable dishes. Technology is a sure way to streamline time-consuming processes, reduce admin, save costs and find the best local suppliers.

Purchasing and procurement software solutions, like Kitchen CUT, enable your team to submit multiple purchase orders to a single system, simplifying orders into one per supplier. By reducing order forms, your business can streamline the process for local suppliers, strengthening relationships and creating reliable supply chains.

With inventory management technology, chefs can stay on top of stock levels without the need for lengthy, manual stocktakes. With automated replenishment orders, specialist software notifies you when to repeat your regular orders and how often, reducing unnecessary food waste and overspending.
Kitchen CUT also helps chefs identify seasonal produce that is available in abundance, allowing them to buy in bulk, cross-utilise across menus, and store or freeze it to save on costs.

To conclude
In celebration of British Food Fortnight, why not put together special seasonal dishes, or even a menu full of British classics, twists on favourites or creative new recipes, using British produce. Strong relationships with suppliers not only create more efficient supply chains, but they also help your business share its journey to buying British, thereby appealing to customers.

What’s more, by supporting your procurement processes, from farm-to-fork, with technology, your business can optimise its operations and streamline its ordering capabilities to save precious time and boost sales.