As the weather changes with the seasons, so should our eating habits. Abiding by seasonal eating has been noted as a must by many nutritionists and chefs, heralded for its multiple health, economic and environmental benefits.
Cost Effective
Utilising seasonal food can be extremely cost effective. As produce thrives in its respective season, prices are often lowered for consumers. Raspberries, for example, are often expensive throughout the winter months, but drop dramatically in price throughout the summer months due to surplus crops. Furthermore, transportation costs are lowered as seasonal foods are local rather than internationally imported. Using locally sourced courgettes in the summer and squash throughout the winter can ensure not only lower costs but higher nutritional value, too.
Preserve Flavour
International produce is often picked before it has ripened, to ensure maximum life span and limit rotting in transportation. As a result of this, plants are unable to ripen in their own natural habitat. Considering this, it is proposed that the refrigerators used in transportation trucks hinder the development of flavour. This could explain, for example, why strawberries on sale in the winter are hard and tasteless compared to the large, juicy punnets sold throughout the summer months.
Grow Your Own
Applying seasonal produce to your menus will bring variety to your diner’s taste buds. By changing your menus throughout the year with varying fresh tastes and textures, you are guaranteed to impress your customers by adding a personal touch. Furthermore, growing your own produce can be beneficial too. Whether you have an acre of land or a window sill, vegetable patches or herb boxes will intrigue your guests and create a strong pull factor to your venue. In other respects, growing your own fruits, vegetables and herbs can be beneficial to you economically and environmentally.
