What You Should Know About Farm-to-Table Dining in B.C.

The term “farm-to-table” has gained traction in the restaurant scene in recent years. Although this method of preparing dishes isn’t a new concept, it’s become popular as people search for more sustainability-focused options to dine out. 

But what does the term “farm-to-table” actually mean? What makes a farm-to-table restaurant authentic and what should restaurant-goers look for? We spoke with Alex Kim, culinary director at Five Sails Restaurant, and Michael Broadbent, the head chef at Fable Kitchen to find out what this concept means for them and their respective restaurants.

It’s all about community 

Whether it’s the bond between farmers and chefs or the connection between farmers and diners, farm-to-table dining is rooted in bringing people closer together. 

“To me, the farm to table [value] is the close and very positive relationship with the farmers,” says Alex Kim. He adds that most of the farmers he works with are connections he made while working in different restaurants throughout B.C. 

Michael Broadbent also emphasizes this important sense of connection, and says that what makes farm-to-table dining authentic is “the connection to the producers, it’s the most important thing.”

Bringing food awareness 

It’s hard not to contemplate where the food in front of us comes from when you’re enjoying a delicious meal at a restaurant.

“In a lot of restaurants, the food goes through so many points of being processed and through so many distributors,” says Broadbent. “I think a lot of people have felt like they’ve lost their connection to it. It’s just something that you buy, that you don’t really know the story of, or where it came from.”

With the boom of social media and new restaurants always popping up, it’s easy to lose connection with the origin of food. Farm-to-table dining is a concept that gives restaurant-goers the peace-of-mind, knowing that ingredients in any dish they order come from a local farm.

The goal is to provide fresh, seasonal ingredients to the table

“It’s a movement focused on sourcing food correctly from local farms and producers and cutting out traditional distribution channels,” says Kim. By cutting out the supplier middle-man, chefs can ensure they bring farmers’ fresh products straight to dining tables. This is also the reason why many farm-to-table menus are seasonal and rotating. 

Not all produce grows every season. Although chefs and farmers plan in advance which produce to source during specific seasons, sometimes the unexpected comes up. “There are challenges with actually sticking to [the menu]. Just because nature doesn’t always agree with you,” says Broadbent.

Farm-to-table isn’t just about vegetables 

Both chefs say that the farm-to-table concept can be utilized across food groups. “It’s also sea-to-table as an idea as well,” says Kim. “That’s the fundamental way of doing Pacific Northwest cuisine.”

Regarding meat sourcing, Broadbent says that it is tough to source meat directly, as there are processing regulations in place. “With meat, there’s a bit of a struggle just because of the regulations. But we try to apply our thing [of] knowing where it comes from,” says Broadbent.

Both Five Sails Restaurant and Fable Kitchen are offering seasonal tasting menus focused on the farm-to-table dining concept. See here for the upcoming seasonal menus this fall for Fable Kitchen and Five Sails Restaurant.