BETTER STAPLES

STARTING WITH STAPLES

From onions and garlic to potatoes and herbs, we know that there is some fresh produce that professional kitchens depend on all year round. These fruits and vegetables must be consistent and available in high volumes to make menu management possible. They also have to be affordable to work with kitchen margin, never more so than today as inflation eats into restaurant profits. This stability isn't a bonus; it is fundamental to the success of the business.

To meet these demands, we have relied on commodity crops grown in more intensive ways than the directly sourced, radically seasonal produce that is integral to our mission to fix the food system and put flavour back on our plates. This is a necessary compromise. It is only by sourcing both and allowing chefs to place their kitchen orders all in one place, that we can make change happen at a scale and pace that would be unachievable if we took a more dogmatic approach.

BETTER STAPLES SHIFT THE NEEDLE

Although our Sourcing Team has been steadily improving the provenance of our basic lines over the years, we're now determined to accelerate our progress and make a concentrated effort to switch up our highest volume lines towards better staples.

From Bunched Carrots to Leeks, we have identified 40 staple fruits and vegetables to tackle first. These are the highest volume lines we sell — the ones which chefs are relying on the most and which will have the greatest impact on our food systems transformation. This is our three-step-plan for making these staples better.

01. Source straight from British growers.

Our first step is to source as many of these lines as possible directly from UK growers during their British growing season. So far, we've achieved this for 58% of our lines. Many of these farms are organic, but not exclusively so. The key for us is a direct relationship that allows us to explore practices on a farm-by-farm basis, forming a more holistic view of their impact.

02. Look outside the UK for new sourcing avenues.

To source 100% of our 40 staple lines directly from growers during their season, we will have to look beyond the UK.

Leeks are well suited to the climate and topography of the UK and therefore possible to grow at scale without compromising on growing methods. Other fruits and vegetables, like peppers, are not. For these lines we look to growers outside of the UK, also naturally extending seasonality by sourcing varieties uniquely suited to other regions.

We know that production methods have a far greater impact on our climate than transportation or the deeply misunderstood ‘food miles’. By expanding our community to growers working in varied climates, suited to the growth of different varieties, we can source directly sourced Better Staples over anonymous commodity produce for longer, backing individual farmers that we trust.

03. It's over to you.

In the future the only staples we want to source are the ones that are in season either in the UK or Europe — replacing year-round availability for reliable seasonality. We cannot do this without your help.

Look up 'Better Staples' on the pro app or tap the Better Staples category to support our Sourcing team's efforts and shift your staples towards seasonality. You'll also be getting a higher quality product from a direct source at a very competitive price.

Lastly, know that by using us as a full service supplier, not just for specialty items, you are still transforming the food system. Even by buying our year-round commodity produce you are helping us build the volumes that make sourcing the same product directly from seasonal growers eventually possible.