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General => The Shed => Topic started by: PurpleHeather on July 01, 2011, 19:14:20

Title: A restaurant with a good idea
Post by: PurpleHeather on July 01, 2011, 19:14:20
Visiting the Yorkshire Dales today I noticed a pub/hotel/restaurant with a sign

Bring us your surplus home grown
Fruit, Vegetables, Herbs and Flowers
And we will give you a voucher for
food and drink.

Chances are high that they will get a far better deal from it than the supplier but as a lot of allotment holders/home growers know, there are often times when we have a glut of certain things which wont keep.

It also shows to the public who are eating at the place that they are being served locally grown fresh food and not a load of frozen stuff.

Chefs, on a Monday or Tuesday often have time to process surplus produce, make their own jams and chutnies which can sell at a premium and I would respectfully suggest that if any of them see this, they work out a similar system which would suit their establishment.

Do any other growers consider it a good idea?





Title: Re: A restaurant with a good idea
Post by: caroline7758 on July 01, 2011, 22:10:19
Whereabouts was it? Might be heading there with some courgettes when i get back from my week away!
Title: Re: A restaurant with a good idea
Post by: Bugloss2009 on July 01, 2011, 22:14:55
think i'll offload my beansprouts  :)

yes, i've heard of places that do that
Title: Re: A restaurant with a good idea
Post by: goodlife on July 01, 2011, 22:18:47
 ;DHave you been in Germany or France recently..? :-X
Title: Re: A restaurant with a good idea
Post by: PurpleHeather on July 01, 2011, 23:37:56
It was in Malham

The road there from Skipton is rather.......shall we say .............slow...part of it is single file.

I was actually hoping to get other pubs/hotels and restaurants involved rather than get a load of people going to the one place offering a deal.

Title: Re: A restaurant with a good idea
Post by: betula on July 02, 2011, 08:51:39
Most good restaurants will have a good fresh supply of local produce.

When I eat out I don't expect to supply the ingredients.
Title: Re: A restaurant with a good idea
Post by: pumkinlover on July 02, 2011, 08:56:00


"Bring us your surplus home grown
Fruit, Vegetables, Herbs and Flowers
And we will give you a voucher for
food and drink. "


I would love to know want a good chef could do with my produce ;) and the voucher idea seems a good incentive- not that I need any incentive to go to the Yorkshire Dales ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: A restaurant with a good idea
Post by: Gadget on July 06, 2011, 13:41:18
What a fabulous idea, they are getting to know their community, who after all are potential customers, embraces seasonal food, and can bring great inspiration to your own cooking.  I think that more pubs should embrace this idea like PurpleH says.  ;D ;D


Title: Re: A restaurant with a good idea
Post by: cambourne7 on July 06, 2011, 14:16:12
I took  a load of veg and a few pumpkins to a local place once and negotiated a swap :)

It can be done :) And if it works then ask them if there is anything they are on the look out for when your growing next year? This place wanted me to grow more parsley Hamburg as they could not get it easily.
Title: Re: A restaurant with a good idea
Post by: caroline7758 on July 06, 2011, 17:00:49
I'm on hols in Cornwall and have just read that the Eden Project has opened a cafe in St Austell and will buy homegrown surplus at wholesale price.
Title: Re: A restaurant with a good idea
Post by: PurpleHeather on July 07, 2011, 20:03:34
It cost us £2.50 to park for two hours in the official car parking area. Not far from the pub/hotel restaurant. Which had a load of space for cars.

As a cup of tea costs over a pound each at  the local cafe.

If that pub will give me some where to park for free  for a couple of hours and give us a brew each then to be honest,  we have got a good deal and they have too

For the cost of a couple of tea bags and a bit of hot water, two hours parking I will happily provide them with a load of stuff that would normally go into the the compost heap as  surplus.

No intention of eating there. We have our own fresh stuff and are perfectly capable of cooking it. No point in drinking booze since we will need to drive.

Brilliant way to swap need for need.

Proper socialism.







Title: Re: A restaurant with a good idea
Post by: hippydave on July 07, 2011, 21:18:35
a local restaurant near me have a pound off a pint for a pound of fresh veg (the dirtier the better they ask for).
and they  a great variety of vegetables with their meals.
Title: Re: A restaurant with a good idea
Post by: vitruvius8 on July 07, 2011, 22:26:34
Just wish i had any sort of restaurant nearby!!! never mind one that would accept veg as part payment !!! ;)