Raw Ingredients
From day one we have had a strict ordering policy. By this I mean that we looked at our supply chain to carefully control where our raw ingredients come from. As an example, we have close relationships with our meat suppliers (Windsor Meats and Beefways). Both companies operate businesses with a high degree of integrity and are able to tell us exactly where their product is coming from. We knew fairly early on that we would never be the cheapest caterer in the city, so we had better make sure we’re the best! We use only ethically raised poultry, AAA Canadian beef, wild salmon, and products that follow the guidelines set out by ‘Oceanwise’ and ‘Green Table’. We use only wild salmon, and fresh when it’s running. Our lobster comes from the East Coast, and our crab is only fresh Dungeness. Our house smoked tuna is locally caught, and we buy it off the boats in Steveston, and then take it out to Bruce’s Country Market in Langley to have it cold-smoked. We won’t serve farmed salmon, Chilean sea bass, tilapia, or any other species considered endangered or compromised. We make just about everything from scratch, and we bring in everything fresh, not frozen.
Farmers Markets
The City of Vancouver has developed a wholesale farmers market program that we committed ourselves to using. We were able to easily see on-line what was available in a given week; order, and pick up at Nat Bailey Park. Brilliant! It was then that we realized that it came down to convenience and awareness. More companies might use services like this if they only knew about it.
Transportation
Another key area concerning sustainability that we’ve addressed is transportation. This includes everything from how far our raw ingredients were traveling to how our staff were getting to work to finally how and where we delivered our product. We have a “fleet” (I use the term loosely) of three cargo vans. Our long range goal is to replace each with either a more fuel efficient, hybrid or electrical commercial alternative when they come to market. We’ve researched this area thoroughly and found viable options in both Europe and Japan, but we’re still waiting for a domestic alternative. Most of our staff live locally and either walk or cycle to work. We set up a separate, secure “mud room” in our building for bikes and rain gear.
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