Restaurant Fee Supports Local in Quebec
MAY 2, 2008 - I run a small restaurant in Wakefield, Quebec, called Soupçon. I started something called a green fee, where everyone pays $1 extra to help me support local food as much as possible. The idea was not to just raise my prices but to make people aware that it costs just a bit more, and that I don’t have fish or seafood on the menu because I haven’t found any that are local or, at the very least, eco-friendly farmed.
It’s amazing the response people have - loads of support and they learn that I don’t have steak on the menu all the time because each cow has only about eight rib steaks, and if I’m only buying local, my beef guy doesn’t kill a bunch of cows just for one cut. As far as the veggies and such, I’m getting organized to store and freeze veggies for next winter. Maybe not for the restaurant yet, but at least for my personal consumption.
The way I see it, we spend a lot of time planning to go out with friends to parties or restaurants . . . why not just plan a harvest party with your friends? So, on the days the restaurant kitchen is closed and it’s time for, let’s say, strawberries, I have about five friends get together and prep and freeze or make jam together. The same with all the veggies, we all make tomato sauce and apple sauce together, as a communtiy. We’ll split the cost of the veggies and jars and such.
Hopefully it will be easier to do it together instead of trying to take on everything alone. Those who have a garden, we can buy veggies off them. I’m hoping it will work. I just think if we got back to the basics of spending time as a community it will make life all that much more fun and rewarding. You’ve really inspired me and changed a lot of how I do business and want to live . . . thanks!
-Tanya
