Many people have heard the words “farm-to-table” and think it simply refers to buying produce and proteins directly from a farm, butcher, or fishing boat instead of a grocery store. However, the farm-to-table concept encompasses a wide range of suppliers and involves sustainable food growth and distribution methods.
Where and When Did Farm-to-table Concept Originate?
Starting in the 1960s, consumers in the US began looking for alternative sources of fresh fruits, vegetables and proteins. It was a quiet backlash against the commercially canned, frozen and processed foods that were taking over the shelves of the nation’s grocery stores.
In 1971, a prominent chef named Alice Waters opened a restaurant called Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. This was one of the first restaurants to feature the farm-to-table concept as a selling point. The restaurant was an instant hit and continues to serve as a symbol of the farm-to-table movement.
Farm-to-table Principles
The concept's principles focus on how food is farmed, bred, or caught. It helps maintain environmental protections that create pure, healthy food, a sustainable environment and clean water. It also focuses on utilizing seasonal foods at various times of the year.
A restaurant that's part of the farm-to-table movement typically develops a network of local suppliers that can be large or small. What matters is that the food is produced sustainably and is as fresh and pure as possible.
Positive Economic Impact
The farm-to-table concept also positively impacts the local economy. Farmers, producers, and small fishing companies know that they'll always have customers as long as they provide a fresh, healthy, and sustainable supply of food.
Customers of a farm-to-table restaurant often ask where the ingredients are sourced and then go on to buy from that supplier themselves, which expands and benefits the local economy. In the farm-to-table world, the freshness, purity and sustainability of the supplier’s goods and practices are often the only advertisements needed to build a thriving local business.
Seasonal Dining
The farm-to-table concept emphasizes freshness. In farming, this means always having available the ripest varieties of seasonal produce and local ingredients available. Restaurants that offer seasonal menus attract diners by offering a range of flavors that can only be enjoyed at certain times of the year. These special dishes can raise the profile of the restaurant and the local community where the ingredients are sourced.
Discover Prod.
Prod. is a casual fine-dining restaurant in Pattaya that's an excellent example of the farm-to-table concept at work. Our menu features a wide variety of fresh local seafood that honors Pattaya's fishing heritage.
Pattaya began as a small fishing village supplying nearby Bangkok as well as several towns up and down the coast of Chonburi. As the town grew into a tourist destination, the fishing traditions of Pattaya found new life by supplying the local restaurants and hotels.
Prod. has established a network of fishermen, local farmers, and other local artisans that together supply the fresh ingredients for our extensive fine-dining menu.
Fin-to-scale Approach
We use a sustainable approach in our day-to-day kitchen and business operations, which is called the fin-to-scale approach. The fin-to-scale approach uses every part of the fish whenever possible. In practice, this translates into never buying more than we need, using a single fish for a variety of dishes, devising innovative cooking techniques, and minimizing waste.
Make Your Reservation at Prod.
The farm-to-table concept provides us with a cleaner planet, a healthier local economy, and more sustainable operations. However, as Alice Waters discovered many decades ago, it also rewards us with fresher, more intensely flavored food.
Discover the many flavorful benefits of the farm-to-table concept. Make your reservation at Prod. and taste the positive results of a global movement.
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