News media is a funny thing.
On the one hand, it’s been all over the press lately that Toronto’s own curly-mopped locavore (Jamie Kennedy) is having a hard time making ends meet in his faltering, gastronomic kingdom. And while it’s not all doom and gloom, there is definitely an undercurrent of blame being leveled (in a tsk tsk sort of way) at his decision to make his locations so staunchly local, organic and sustainable. Sweeping changes have been made to try and keep the ship afloat, from re-branding the Gardiner Museum spot, to splitting off part of his flagship Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar into Hank’s cafe, plus potentially putting the wine bar on the market. Recent reports state that Kennedy still intends to uphold his local food mantra (good on him for having stick-to-it-ive-ness), but only time will tell if he can pull that off and turn a profit.
On the flipside, Wayne Roberts (manager of the Toronto Food Policy Council, author and friend of Local Food Plus) is telling us that the cost of switching to local food is marginal. I have somewhat of a soft spot for the good old LFP. About this time last year I applied to go work for them (unfortunately it was not meant to be, as the funding for the position was cut). As someone who tries to buy the majority of her food locally, I can see what he means, to a point. If you are willing to put in the time and effort and are a savvy shopper, then yes, it is possible to pull this off with a minimal cost impact. However, if you’re not in a major metro area, or close to a farmer’s market, this goal is not so easy to attain. Local food is “cheap” (such a dirty word, but not meant in a negative connotation here) but only if it’s in season, and even then it’s really just economical. Case in point; ever tried to buy strawberries in January? They’ll cost you a mint. Come June or July though, local farmer’s markets are practically giving them away. Last year I bought a flat of 12 (or more) quarts for jam making, and it didn’t even crack $40. Even produce that is not local to you follows this rule, but buying in bulk also helps. Like fresh figs? I do. But I have a hard time stomaching the $2 per fruit habit, so I buy them by the flat at the St Lawrence market and use the remnants to make a glorious fig compote instead. This year I’ve opted to try growing a couple of figs trees myself, instead.
I find it ironic that at the same time TFPC is trying to convince consumers that an extra $10 is all it costs to go SOLE (sustainable, organic, local, ethical) the king of SOLE is on the brink of bankruptcy. It’s a sign of the times and an indicator that something seriously needs to change in the way we manage our global food system. Because really, it’s a catch 22. JK can’t make a profit because food costs are too high, or indirectly cost more because of the extra time associated with sourcing from numerous small producers. Conversely, local foods will continue to command a premium until more people sign up and turn it into the new economy of scale. And how do you do that? Well, you try to convince people to change their habits by showing them it’s relatively painless and easy… perhaps by writing an article on the subject.
I knew there was a reason I loved the TFPC/LFP. They’re smart cookies.
Until next time…
Tags: Hank's, Jamie Kennedy, Jamie Kennedy At The Gardiner, Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar, Local Food Plus, SOLE, St Lawrence Market, Wayne Roberts
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