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Local Food
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Written by Jessica Hoch
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Wednesday, 03 November 2010 22:41 |
Before eating local was posh it just made sense to Jeff and Jocelyn Waite. They’re glad to see the rest of the food world is finally catching on.
According to the National Restaurant Association sustainability and local sourcing are the hottest culinary trends in 2010 and Merriam-Webster added 'locavore' to their dictionary in 2009. Foodie magazines are featuring farm to fork eateries all over their glossy pages and people everywhere are biting in.
For Jeff and Jocelyn, who own the Harbour Public House and Pegasus Coffee House on Bainbridge Island, the search for the freshest ingredients sent them on a direct route to their neighbors years ago.
"We've broken that cycle of relying on a delivery truck. It allowed us to get to know our farmers and suppliers, and if that truck doesn't show up with the products we want than we will go out and find them," said Jeff. "When we want farm fresh eggs we go get them. When we want grass feed beef we go and make relationships with growers and now they raise a whole herd just for us."
The result is a menu that’s fresh, delicious and uniquely stamped with local ingredients.
The pub was opened in 1991 by Roger and Judith Evans, Jocelyn's parents, in the 1881 home of early Bainbridge Island settlers Amanda and Abrose Grow. In an effort to help promote Washington beer and shorter travel distances one of the pub's founding ethics was to serve Washington beer only. When Jeff and Jocelyn took over the pub from her parents the discussion of what to put on the menu kept coming up. Being mindful of the quality and scrutiny the Waites used with the food they served at home, it seemed a natural progression to apply those same standards at work. In the early 2000's the pub made a big push to use as much organic wholesale products as possible and took a big step in localizing their menu.
From there the Waites have continued to forge their own path for the pub and coffeehouse. Since February of this year pub patrons have ordered burgers with the guarantee the meat came from only one grass-fed steer. Thanks to the collaboration with the Harlow Cattle Company, which delivers a side of grass-fed beef nearly every week, the pub can say without a doubt where their burger comes from. The pub has established a close relationship with Butler Green Farm on
the island to provide greenson a year-round basis, and also works with Persephone Farms in Indianola for produce. With every ingredient they try and look closer to home first.
Jeff McClelland, chef for the pub and coffee house, said the path to the neighbors’ bounty hasn't always been clear.
"I don't get [ingredients] that come in all cut up and ready to go and pretty. I have to be willing to do that step," said McClelland. "I'm finding it's a learning process not just for me and my staff, but for our producers as well. Like all of us they aren't used to this kind of relationship and it can be a challenge."
By cutting out the middle man and going straight to the producer, restaurants and chefs like McClelland, have more control and access to the ingredients they want to use in the kitchen. But this is a concept just emerging in the mainstream, and farmers are accustomed to working with a middle man, often a large distribution company, to do business. Cutting that out takes transitioning.
"Now they are starting to understand they can make a living farming like this, working directly with us, but we have to establish that relationship so they know there will be enough people buying their products," said McClelland.
As with any business, no matter how altruistic the motives may be, it eventually will have to come down to the bottom line. In the Pacific Northwest produce like hearty greens, root vegetables, garlic and potatoes can grow all year, but getting the grower to supply that takes extra planning and negotiation.
"We're only a 50 seat restaurant and that's still a challenge for growers to keep up with sometimes. It's always a discussion with every farmer on whether they are willing to sell at a wholesale price and have a year-round capacity," said Waite. "Very few farmers in Bainbridge or Kitsap County have the capacity or willingness to grow year round for anyone so we have to encourage that relationship and prove it will work for them. It takes time."
For Waite the conversation starts the same with each farmer. They have to determine what price the farmer needs to cover his costs and what Waite is looking to pay. From there it's a process of negotiation and planning to find a workable solution for both parties. Waite said the education process is part of the fun and in the end it's helped grow the relationships of friends, family and patrons of the pub and coffee house.
Especially on a place like Bainbridge they said their effort to get as much local in every bite is heartily appreciated.
"It's really the role food should play in the world. When it's done right it's just a beautiful thing."
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