Using fresh, locally sourced produce is key to everything we do. We want to serve delicious dishes full of flavour, so we work very closely with local suppliers in the South West to ensure our ingredients are sourced as close to your events as possible and are in keeping with the seasons. Here are a few reasons we think cooking with seasonal and locally sourced ingredients is important to event catering.
Flavour
One of the most obvious benefits of buying ingredients in season and from local merchants is the extra burst of flavour you get. In-season fruit and vegetables are harvested when they are naturally ready to be eaten; they are not artificially ripened. This makes them extra tasty – yum! The locality makes a difference to the freshness of food too – seafood, for example, starts to go off as soon as it leaves the sea, so the quicker it can get to your plate, the better! Less travelling also means less refrigeration which can also impair the flavour.
Value
By buying seasonal produce, we take advantage of lower prices on high-quality goods. When crops of fruit and vegetables, catches of fish, and populations of meat/game are abundant, supply is high, so the market value falls. We are also not paying for any lengthy storage or transportation requirements. These cost savings mean we can deliver extra value to our customers and provide you with a generous feast of tasty food for less!
Nutrition
During every second that fruit, vegetables, fish, and meat are in storage or transit, their quality and nutritional value diminish. Out-of-season produce often has to be refrigerated to delay the decaying process, too – it can be subject to ripening agents such as chemicals, gases and heat when transported to its final destination. Conversely, local and in-season ingredients are delivered soon after harvesting, meaning they retain more nutrients!
Unique Dishes
Seasonal produce encourages us to get creative with our menu plans and dishes. While we are attuned to the changing seasons and the produce they usually bring, the available ingredients don’t always follow the rule. This allows us to experiment with different food pairings and cook new, bespoke and delicious dishes that you and your guests may never have come across before; a great talking point at dinner parties and corporate events!
Reduced Carbon Footprint
Our suppliers grow their produce locally, so the distance travelled from field to plate is less than that of mass-produced, national or international suppliers, and less fuel is burned to get it to your event. Furthermore, the food often doesn’t need to be refrigerated and warmed, so less energy is required. Lastly, the packaging on local food is usually minimal, thus further reducing the amount of energy needed.
FIND OUT MORE
Want to know more about where our event catering ingredients come from? Please get in touch with our head chef, Tim. We provide events catering in Bath, Bristol and nearby areas and source our produce from a fantastic selection of South West suppliers.