BETTER STAPLES

STARTING WITH STAPLES

From onions and garlic to potatoes and herbs, we know that there is some fresh produce that kitchens lean on all year round. These fruits and vegetables must be consistent, affordable and available in high volumes to give kitchens security, never more so than today as inflation eats into restaurant profits.

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 flavor back on our plates.

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.

It has taken us just shy of two decades, but we have now built enough volume on some commodity lines to switch them over to more impactful sources, without limiting availability or upping the price.

BETTER STAPLES SHIFT THE NEEDLE, STARTING IN THE UK

From Bunched Carrots to Leeks, our Sourcing Team in the UK has identified 40 staple fruits and vegetables to tackle first. These are the highest volume lines we sell — the ones that chefs are relying on the most and which will have the greatest impact on our food system's transformation.

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.

What this means at ground level

From July to April, our Leeks are now from Duncan’s organic farm in Ormskirk, Lancashire.

On his 290 acre farm, Duncan has the space and resources to produce at greater scale than many of our independent growers. However, his cultivation methods are set apart from the commercial norm by his focus on soil health. Where leek cultivation in the UK relies heavily on herbicides, pesticides and insecticides, Duncan experiments with alternative, organic solutions that allow him to produce sweet leeks with tender stalks.

Take his weed treatment. Twice a year Duncan douses the fields with salt water to get rid of any weeds. Leeks have a natural waxiness in their leaves, meaning that when doused in salt water, it runs straight off them and ‘burns’ only the leaves of the surrounding weeds.

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.

Over to you.

While we aren't quite there yet in New York, in the future, the only staples we want to source are the ones that are in season, replacing year-round availability for reliable seasonality. We cannot do this without your help.

Know that by using us as a full-service supplier in New York, not just for specialty items, you are still transforming the food system. Even by buying our year-round staple items, you are helping us build the volumes that make sourcing the same product directly from seasonal growers possible in the future.