COVID-19 made sourcing ingredients challenging – local food offered a solution
The menu at Momofuku Toronto is typically rich in trout, caviar and ramen fixings. But these days, the kitchen is overflowing with fresh ramps.
A 2022 Restaurants Canada report on menu inflation found that supply-chain disruptions for food and tools has affected 96 per cent of restaurateurs. Some have responded by raising menu prices – by 5.3 per cent, on average, the report found – others have responded by looking local, relying on a supply with fewer nodes in the chain.
“If we’re going to put something on the menu, we need to know that it’s actually coming in and the supply chain has been very unpredictable,” he says. “But if we’re in touch with the people that are actually growing vegetables directly, it helps us with menu planning.” “Sometimes the supply crunch is very sudden,” Mr. Mason adds. “A more open dialogue with our suppliers really helps to mitigate those issues.”
“These smaller suppliers, they can help educate us and our team,” Mr. Mason explains. “If I’m working with Mark’s Mushrooms, he knows a whole lot more about mushrooms than I do. It’s finding inspiration in someone who’s so highly specialized.” Anyone who has ever bought produce at a farmers’ market, however, knows that local ingredients often don’t come cheap; but Mr. Mason says that with inflation driving up the cost of food across the board, the restaurant’s local suppliers at least offer more predictable pricing.Lauren Wesanko/Momofuku
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