The American farm to table movement can be traced back to 1971, when the restaurant Chez Panisse was opened by Paul Aratow and Alice Waters in Berkeley, California. 50 years later and the movement is stronger than ever before. But launching an authentic farm to table restaurant is challenging. So here are some top tips to help you.

What is Farm to Table Exactly?

The truth is farm to table means different things to different folks. In its purest understanding, farm to table refers to those restaurants actually located at the farm from which they source and serve their food. A more liberal understanding of farm to table is a restaurant where the ingredients are sourced as locally as possible, and suppliers and middlemen are limited and removed. Similar phrases include farm to fork, locally-sourced, and farm fresh.

Your Menu

In order to become a successful farm to table restaurant you need to give special attention to your menu. Your menu should be changeable;  using seasonably available products that promote sustainable farming. Buying when food is in season can lead to big cost savings, which is another benefit of going farm to table. Do your research and visit local farmers’ markets. You should be able to form strong relationships with local suppliers, and a secure discount for regular deliveries from them.

Food Traceability 

Your farm to table restaurant needs to incorporate food traceability. This is the idea that you can trace where all your ingredients come from. Cashmere Systems have a developed advanced blockchain technology systems that track and traces every ingredient in a restaurant’s supply chain. If your restaurant is proven to prioritise food traceability, it means you’re promoting sustainability. This is because traceability software verifies sustainability claims about the ingredients, dishes and drinks you’re serving, helping to ensure and promote ethical practices and respect for the environment. 

Marketing and Social Media 

Farm to table is a hot term and you should be proud to shout about it. Promote your restaurant’s ethics on social media, with the leading hashtags: #farmtotable #eatlocal #organic #food #foodie #farmlife #farmtofork #supportlocal #farmfresh. People will be desperate to make a reservation.

ERP and Inventory Management Software 

Inventory management software is an important tool in order to successfully build a farm to table, or farm to fork, restaurant. Software, powered by AI and machine learning, can automate all the farm to table logistics on your behalf. Reducing complexity, streamlining your supply chains, and freeing you up to focus on delivering great service. Cashmere’s solutions make your purchasing processes more efficient, and improve those important vendor relationships. Farm to table logistic processes, finances, and inventory can all be stored and managed in a single system. 

The sustainability of our food supply chains is more important than ever. If your food and beverage company is looking to scale and grow via ERP solutions, traceability and demand planing software, get in touch with Cashmere today.