In our previous blog post we mentioned that we belong to the Association of Catering Professionals. In this group's e-forum we were pleased to find that many members say they either use local/more eco-conscious food or are moving in that direction.
We believe this is a good thing for those who use our services because:
- It's healthier
- It produces vastly superior food
- It's better for the Planet
- It supports local business
Why do some caterers (perhaps, still, the majority) not want to use local/eco-conscious food?
Those caterers who continue to use the big supplier system do it for one reason only: it's convenient and allows them to book as many events per day as possible. How? Let's look inside the big supplier system and how it relates to caterers.
When a caterer uses big suppliers exclusively, all it has to do is to call, fax, or order online and the food is delivered to their door (or rather to their loading zone), usually weekly or more often for a high-volume outfit. What's wrong with that? To begin with, generally the food from the big suppliers is shipped from far away and is often loaded with pesticides or hormones or preservatives. If a caterer receives the shipments weekly, the events further away from the delivery day get food that's less fresh. The other part of the big supplier system is the caterer's too-frequent reliance on partially-made ("par made" in industry lingo) or even wholly-prepared food so as to be able to do as many events as possible quickly (and thus take more bookings).
Here's are examples: the dressing for the salads is bought and the produce for the salad, because it's grown for shipment not flavor, and is grown with pesticides, is often light-colored and flavorless (plus at least somewhat toxic). The demiglace (stock reduction to flavor sauces) or stock or even the sauce for the beef or chicken and the rolls are bought. The dessert is bought either wholly or partially made; for instance, a cake baked for an event is frosted with frosting bought from the supplier (which contains trans fats).
Do you see how this can help a caterer interested in quick sales rather than food or people churn out events rapidly?
There's a reason why people who eat in places like Paris or, post Alice Waters, anywhere else the food is made fresh from fresh, local ingredients acclaim the food as something totally different from what they've ever had (and the reason French classical cuisine is the basis of U.S. culinary schools).
As more and more caterers realize that with really fresh and toxic-free ingredients stellar results are possible, and more and more potential clients realize the benefits of fresh, local food (demonstrated here in the U.S. by the crowds always shopping at Whole Foods), the market-to-table and toxic-free protein small local vendors will develop and become more mainstream, we predict. And that's a good thing for catering clients and their events (and the Planet).
Bon Appetit!
Kristina
Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales and Operations/Event Manager
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
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