It’s that time again. The football manager, puffy, yet oh so cosy winter coat monstrosity, has come out of the closet once more.
As it gets frostier, British produce comes into its own. Cabbage, squash, potatoes and kale, oh my! Stews, chowders and roasts, the stars of this season’s menus are hearty and warming and comforting. From a sustainability umbrella perspective – environmentally, financially and health wise – thinking about seasonality and prioritising produce when it’s locally available reaps benefits across the spectrums.
At the same time, it’s important to be realistic about what your ‘seasonal region’ looks like. For instance, exclusively planning your menu around UK produce availability alone might be just a tad too constricting, and after all we’re not suggesting our customers eliminate all fruit from their diets over the winter months. However, it’s worth being conscious of where your food is coming from and thinking about limitations that you can apply that still ensure you secure some of the benefits that come with eating seasonally.
Here are 4 of those reasons which will hopefully add another stew to your meal rotations:
- Better nutritional profiles: when products are consumed in season, they tend to have higher nutritional profiles than those stored for months, or than those that have to travel a long way to get to your plate. That is because as soon as crops are harvested, they start to degrade from a nutritional standpoint. The sooner something can be eaten post-harvest, the better. In addition, in order to preserve crops while they travel or sit in cold stores for months at a time, they tend to be treated with wax, pesticides and preservatives. And we all know, the less of those we consume, the better.
- It’s friendly to the environment: the farther your food has to travel, the more food miles it generates, and the more emissions are generated from having to store, chill and move it. We have a tool which allows you to see where all your produce is coming from and the associated food miles. If you would like to set limits or see what produce you can get if you source regionally, speak to your account manager and they will be very happy to support.
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- Lighter on the wallet: planning meals from ingredients that are available locally and in season will typically work out cheaper. Again, that comes down to what resources have to go into growing and moving the product. Tomatoes are a great example of the complexity of this – theoretically they can and do grow locally in the UK in the winter months, however the greenhouses that are needed to do so are typically carbon emission heavy and leads to pricier product. To really feel the financial benefit, ensure you are looking for produce that can be grown in natural, outdoor conditions with as little intervention as possible.
- Menu innovation: have you heard the expression that necessity is the mother of all invention? Or that limitations boost creativity? Working with produce that is only locally available in season might provide the opportunity to look at your menu through fresh ideas.
If all this has piqued your interest, please take a look at our seasonal calendar which tells you all the fine produce you can get over the coming months (and plan for Spring!), and our market report is packed chock full of useful product information.
But to really kick things off here’s a link to a delish kale salad using British, in season apples, kale and celery. Alternatively, we have an extensive recipe library on our website, where you can find loads of other seasonal recipes. Enjoy!
We’d love to talk to you more about our tips in more detail and suggest more bespoke ideas for any of your particular challenges. To do so please don’t hesitate to reach out to any of our team, or to me at oliviaobrien@bidfood.co.uk.
A blog by Olivia Obrien. Olivia is our National Account Manager, supporting with our new sustainability focused initiatives.
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