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!

To get started without overhauling everything, here's a meal-by-meal guide.

Meal	Examples to offer
Breakfast	Regional jams, organic fruit and vegetables, bread from the bakery across the street
Lunch	Biodynamic wine or wine from nearby vineyards, meat from a local producer, vegetables from the garden
Dinner	Fresh pasta from a local artisan, local spirits, flowers on the table

Frequently asked questions

Does my whole menu have to be organic? No. Your entire offer does not need to be organic for the approach to count. Offering a few products is already a very good start, and you can widen the range later. If you want to go further, home-made is the logical next step.

Where do I start without changing everything at once? Reworking your offer takes time, so move step by step. Breakfast is the easiest meal to change: regional jams, organic fruit and vegetables, bread from the baker across the street. You will quickly see what your guests notice.

Do travellers really care about organic and local? The search for authenticity keeps growing. For many travellers, discovering a country or a region now runs through its food. Add the wish to eat better, and therefore organic: between two properties, the choice is quickly made.

What do I gain by working with a local producer? You can state where your meat, wine or vegetables come from, and the producer can say in return that he supplies your property. His customers may become yours, and the other way round. It is a virtuous circle, with no advertising budget.

I do not run a restaurant, does this apply to me? Yes, as soon as you offer your guests a few products. A jar of regional jam, bread bought across the street or a bottle of local spirits is enough to carry the idea. What matters is that the product comes from nearby and that your guests know it.

What can I offer at lunch and dinner? At lunch, a biodynamic wine or one from the vineyard next door, meat from the local producer, vegetables from the garden. At dinner, fresh pasta from a craftsman, a local spirit, flowers on the table. Nothing is compulsory: take what exists around you and add to it season by season.