seasonal, traditional and indeed a host of other things? That marque, that idea is the Slow Food movement, which on November 1, 2015 became Slow Food in the UK.
Slow Food assists the trade in several ways, firstly we engage and explain to consumers why when you choose genuinely local products the difference that makes. The countryside is an artificial place – it looks as it does because of farming; and by you purchasing genuinely local food you are sustaining your local community. Indeed we are fortunate in that our message is seldom of the radio, or out of the newspapers
We provide sourcing guides to the Trade – you want to know where you can by Norfolk Sea Lavender honey? We’ll tell you. Ditto if you’re looking for a producer of Devon Ruby beef that can manage trade volume.
Thirdly we have our program the Chef Alliance, a group led by Chefs for Chefs. Meet with your peers, share ideas, meet producers, and crucially gain a Slow Food Chef Alliance decal for your restaurant – a guarantee to your customers that your values are our values which are their values.
Each month I’ll be exploring these themes in more detail, but in the meantime if you would like to apply to become a Chef Alliance Member (£36 a year) email
[email protected]
If you would like standard membership of Slow Food, then Staff Canteen readers can have a year’s membership at 1/3 of the standard rate if you apply before December 31, 2015 – simply go to
http://bit.ly/1MlkKaf
Shane Holland is Executive Chairman of Slow Food in the UK. He has owned and run restaurants, managed a boutique hotel, and in the past has worked for an organisation that counted apples from Germany as local.
