Last Updated on March 20, 2023 by Lauren Beck
Starting your very own restaurant is any culinary lover’s biggest dream. But many don’t settle with being a simple restaurant owner. Instead, they strive to make their restaurant the best in the industry. One way to make that happen is to have the best and freshest produce for your dishes.
It’s impossible to open a restaurant business without paying attention to the food you’ll serve. Although your menu is as unique and appetizing as it appears, customers are unlikely to go back for seconds when the taste fails to meet their expectations. Of all the factors involved, the ingredients play a significant part in the dish’s palatability, especially the quality.
Using fresh ingredients takes the dish’s quality to the next level. After all, there’s nothing healthier than eating organic produce while having its taste amplified by the chef’s expertise. But given its quality, there’s a common misconception of how challenging it is to source fresh, high-quality produce for a restaurant.
Here are some food sources you can visit to narrow down your search:
1. Farmers
Farmers and restaurants go hand-in-hand regarding fresh produce. Because while they harvest a surplus of produce, making deals with restaurant businesses is the only way for all their hard work to pay off. Hence, ordering a fruit and vegetable box delivery is common for restaurants, especially those sourcing local food. On top of that, your relationship will get stronger with each transaction you’ve made, making it more likely for them to give you great deals.
Although fresh produce is the easiest to get a hold of, finding a specific crop might be more challenging. After all, the availability of produce depends on the current season. If what you need is off-season, the stock will be limited. To avoid interrupting your stocking schedule, be prepared to have multiple sources you can turn to. However, having too many suppliers to transport from often makes this more costly.
2. Butchers
Aside from fruits and vegetables, using the best cuts of meat [1] brings the whole dish together, especially for restaurants focused on meaty cuisine. Because when you use high-quality meat, it gives the dish the perfect texture while elevating its flavors. Fortunately, sourcing meat isn’t as hard as crops.
Instead of waiting for the right season to place an order, all you have to do when purchasing meat is to get there early. After all, butcher shops often end up getting sold out, considering there’s only a limited stock of cuts available. Find out their schedule so you can get there ahead of time to have many fine cuts to choose from.
But as fine as they are, some restaurants might prefer saving their expenses while searching for a great meat lineup. Because, more often than not, some would place additional costs on their products to keep running their businesses. Ask vendors up close to find out where they’ve been sourcing their meat. That way, you can have better deals with the meat farm itself.
3. Your Own Garden
For restaurants that want to save money while having a food source right at their fingertips, tending to a garden would be your best bet. Granted, it demands a lot of work, between gardening and managing a restaurant. Start small to get used to the routine. Planting herbs and garnishes is an excellent first step, considering how little maintenance most require.
Once you’ve grown used to everything, consider leveling up your crops with fruits or vegetables. However, relying mostly on gardening as a food source is better suited for smaller restaurants. After all, managing a small customer capacity is likely to be proportionate with the number of crops you’ve harvested. Moreover, it’s much more doable to include prepping everything in the routine.
4. Buying Networks
Looking for reliable food suppliers is a challenge new restaurant owners must overcome. Because of so many options in the industry, it may seem impossible to find which ones are right for your restaurant. The best way to do that is by considering where other restaurants source their ingredients.
Having connections in the culinary world is a valuable asset. New restaurants have a better chance of ensuring steady growth when they look to other restaurants as a reference. Reach out to any of your culinary friends starting their restaurants to learn where they’re sourcing their food. But to be sure, consider joining buying clubs if you find a great vendor that others have agreed to order from.
Takeaway
Various factors are involved in stabilizing the restaurant to stay in top shape. However, securing fresh ingredients for your menu greatly affects the establishment’s standing. After all, there’s nothing like enjoying a healthy and fulfilling meal from high-quality produce. Fortunately, the industry is rich in legitimate suppliers, making it easier to source food.
Reference:
- https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials/what-is-the-best-cut-of-steak
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