Restaurants sourcing more food from local suppliers, survey claims

More than 95% respondents to a recent Bord Bia survey of Irish restaurants claim they have increased the amount of local suppliers that they are working with within the past 12 months.

Some 85% of respondents to the July survey said that they were spending in excess of 40% of their monthly budget on local food and drink.

Bord Bia conducted a survey amongst previous recipients of the Bord Bia Just Ask! monthly award, a campaign that aims to encourage diners to look for information on where the food on their plate comes from when eating out and inspire chefs to provide such information on their menus.

Other key survey findings include:

* Over 4/5 of restaurants (81%) say they are actively involved in growing their own produce and foraging, with the remaining 19% confirming that “it is something I’m currently considering for my business”

* The majority of restaurant owners (81%) believe the public has become more aware of the importance of sourcing locally in the past year, with 85% of respondents agreeing that diners actively look to support restaurants that are in turn supporting their local suppliers

* Two-thirds of restaurants (67%) claim that there has been an increase in numbers of diners eating out during the week in the past six months, with over 70% confirming that they have seen an increase in diners eating out at the weekends during this same period

* Almost three-quarters (71%) of respondents recognise that social media plays a key role in engaging with both customers and suppliers

* The Top five factors contributing to recipe inspiration (where chefs were invited to select a number of factors) were: Ingredients (90%); Travel & Culture (57%); Other Chefs (53%); Nostalgia (43%) and Trends (29%)

Commenting of the results, Maureen Gahan of Bord Bia said: “Once again, I would like to congratulate each and every Just Ask! award winner for the fantastic work they are doing in terms of supporting local suppliers and using innovative ways to communicate this support to their customers.

“It’s very positive that so many restaurant owners feel the public are becoming more aware of the importance of sourcing local ingredients and are voting with their feet when it comes to eating out.

“Remember – if the menu you’re looking at doesn’t specify where the food on your plate comes from, then Just Ask!”