From Gordon Ramsay to Mark Sullivan's Spruce Restaurant

By JULIETTE ROSSANT The British press is all a flutter over Gordon Ramsay's latest snafu. He suggested that restaurant that use out-of-season produce flown in rather than locally sourced produce should be fined. He believes that locally sourced produce would not leave as large a carbon imprint. The problem is that Gordon's 15 restaurants use plenty of imported ingredients. The Telegraph lists blackberries, parsnips and fennel as current culprits that would generate fines. The article goes on to site various chefs: Anthony Worrall Thompson, a television chef, was also circumspect: "I trawled through his menus from Claridges and Maze and there were at least 15 items that would have warranted a fine," he said. "The principle is right but as for fining, I think it is a bit of a nonsense – he likes to keep in the limelight." The article goes on to point out that "food miles" are misleading. New Zealand lamb creates lower carbon emissions than British meat, because farmers in New Zealand use fewer fertilizers and apples shipped in from the other side of the world are better than English apples, if the local apples are refrigerated. Is Gordon's idea applicable to restaurants in the US? Many restaurants are trying to increase their locally sourced produce and other ingredients. Gordon's demand for locally sourced ingredients, brings up a lot of important issues for chef at fine dining restaurants. Essentially, chefs need to figure out how to balance the importance of sourcing locally and the demands of their own craft and imaginations, as well as the demands of their customers. Sometimes all of these factors fall on the same side. Super Chef spoke to chefs across the county who are focusing on locally sourced ingredients, in most cases sourced within 100 miles of the restaurant on the West Coast and 500 miles on the East Coast. Chefs on the West Coast, where the growing season is long and practically everything is available nearby, can economically follow the rigors of sourcing locally and still create memorable menus. Those local ingredients are grown using organic and sustainable practices so that they are, in fact, more carbon neutral than imports. Mark Sullivan's restaurant Spruce, in the Presidio Heights neighborhood of San Francisco is a great example of what Gordon's restaurants could be. Spruce sources 80% of its products locally, much from an exclusive 5-acre organic farm 20 miles away owned by Bacchus Management Group, which also owns the restaurant - Mark is a partner, too. The farm also supplies The Village Pub in Woodside, CA. owned by the group – and could support more restaurants as the group expands. Many of his chefs and cooks work at the farm, "I think most cooks haven't been on a farm. When they go to the farm, the cooks feel more passionate about what they are doing, they respected it more, and they don't want to waste." The farm truck even uses recycled waste oil from the restaurant converted into biofuel. But even Mark uses 20% that is not local. Much of that are bulk ingredients like onions that are not economical to grow organically on his small farm. For example, Sullivan uses a peppery, $10 per liter single varietal Arbequina Extra Virgin olive oil, produced by California Olive Ranch for finishing dishes. For poaching and sautéing he uses much cheaper grape seed oil and Spanish olive oil at $5 per liter to lower his food costs. "We use 20 gallons a week, that starts to add up. We are thinking of making our own, or committing in advance and paying a lump sum." Sullivan already works with a winery in Wilimette Valley, Oregon, which blends a house wine for his restaurant. "It is about space and understanding that you are committing to the long term." Mark is also not dogmatic about his commitment to locally sourced ingredients. He does indulge when he believes a dish needs a special ingredient not available locally. I am concerned about environment, social issues, pollution, and all these thing that are a problems when you buy asparagus from Chile, but I will buy a beautiful brand of rice, or use an olive oil that taste better on my veggies. Related news Telegraph Times Guardian Independent Previous articles: Gordon Ramsay: Child Obesity Gordon Ramsay: Reality Lawsuit Will Beckham Spice Ramsay With Puck? Marco Pierre White: The Devil in the Kitchen Gordon Ramsay: Find Me a Fanny Gordon Ramsay: Say No to Celebrity! Gordon Ramsay v James Bond Gordon Ramsay: Women Can't Cook Gordon Ramsay: A Chef For All Seasons Gordon Ramsay: In the Heat of the Kitchen Gordon Ramsay on Jay Leno: Funnier than Hell Hell's Kitchen on ICE Sneak Peak: Hell's Kitchen, with Gordon Ramsay Gordon Ramsay Joins Richard Branson in Fox's Reality TV Hell Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging --> back to Super Chef