Organic and local: the new values

Two words are on everyone's lips right now: organic and local. So if you run a restaurant or offer a few products to your guests, embrace these two important values. Here's how to go about it.

Why it matters to get started

Why go for organic and local? Quite simply, to win new customers, support your region and help the planet.

Guests are increasingly looking for authenticity. For them, visiting a country or a region now means discovering its food. People are also taking more and more care of their bodies by eating better, which means eating organic. So if a property offers organic options and buys from a few local producers, the choice is an easy one.

Think partnerships too. If you buy your meat from a local producer, you can say so, and they can mention that they supply a hotel, potentially sending their own customers your way. It's a virtuous circle.

What to offer

Changing and reworking what you offer will of course take time.

So start gradually, for example:

• For breakfast: serve regionaljams, organicfruit and vegetables(and local ones where possible),breadfrom the bakery across the road, and so on.
• Lunch: why not offer biodynamic wine? Orwinefrom the vineyards next door?Meatfrom the producer down the road, or vegetables from the kitchen garden?
• And for dinner: fresh pasta from a local artisan, local spirits, flowers on the table, and more.

 

All of this will help you build relationships with local businesses, bring them extra sales from your guests who have tasted and loved their products, and finally spread the word about your brand or rental far more widely through word of mouth.

To sum up, your entire offer doesn't have to be organic, but offering a few products is already a very good start. And if you want to take it even further, go for homemade!