Serve Local

Your local heroes

 As the evenings start drawing in and thoughts turn to log fires and warming soups, at Green Tourism HQ we are obsessing over local food and drink all through September, coinciding with Scotland’s Food and Drink Fortnight - a fantastic two week promotion of Scottish farms and small producers.  We’re a global organisation though, so our aim is to persuade all our members and followers, wherever they are, to Shop, Eat, Drink and Serve Local.

Supporting farmers, suppliers, and purveyors of all things edible who live within a reasonable radius of your business makes so much sense.  You get to cook and serve seasonal fruit and veg when it’s at its absolute best; you’re contributing to your community and regional economy; and you’re making a significant reduction to your carbon footprint by radically cutting down on food miles.   It’s simple  – by not purchasing Peruvian asparagus or New Zealand lamb and choosing your local grower and sheep farmer instead, perhaps at a farmer’s market or co-operative, you are saving the planet and massively helping family-run and small enterprises to make a living.

What’s more, guests and diners are increasingly wanting to know where ingredients are sourced from, with many choosing an establishment that has, for example, local organic eggs and bacon on the menu over one that does not specify its sources.  People are wising up to the benefits of locally-grown and seasonal food, so it’s definitely worth having a ‘farm to table’ note on your menu or blackboard giving a well deserved boost to your suppliers by clearly crediting them.  Use social media – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are all brilliant channels for celebrating and publicising your partnerships with producers in your county (plus it works both ways). Use the hashtag #servelocal and share images of ingredients or photogenic dishes that use seasonal local fare.  Don’t be shy, now’s the time to start snapping your damson jam and local farm sausage sarnies to the nation and beyond!  A shout out for your regular local supplier of say, small batch cheese, will mean the world to them and also tells your audience that you are doing your bit for sustainable hospitality. Just remember to tag us on FB @green.tourism.uk or Twitter @GreenTourismUK or Instagram @GreenTourismUK

Many of our members are already doing sterling work with their menus and support for local ingredients.  One example is the renowned Three Chimneys restaurant on the Scottish island of Skye, where almost everything used in their phenomenal, award-winning food is “sourced fresh from within a few miles of the restaurant on Skye, followed by the Scottish Highlands and some wider sources throughout Scotland. The freshness and integrity of our ingredients fuels our passion for what we do.”

A clarion call of real conviction from the Three Chimneys and one which we hope will inspire even more of you to Serve Local whenever you can.  Your guests will thank you for it, and probably come back for another helping . . .