Fresh food is taken to the next level when clubs have their own culinary garden on the property, enabling them to have just-harvested ingredients for diners’ plates. A culinary garden is part of a permitted food facility, where food grown is only used at that facility and is an approved food source for that dining establishment only.
One of the most important benefits of a culinary garden is being able to provide members with better, fresher-quality ingredients. Harvesting ingredients and eating them right away is completely different than using ingredients from suppliers that could have been picked weeks ago. Since the ingredients are growing only feet from the kitchen, they can skip from needing to be stored and will retain their strong flavors. Members will notice the stronger flavors on their plates while also seeing exactly where the food came from.
Culinary gardens provide beautiful landscaping for any facility, while also giving both chefs and members the peace of mind in knowing where ingredients are coming from and how they were raised. Chefs have full control and will know ingredients are all-natural with no harmful pesticides, contaminants or preservatives used. Chefs are able to keep the process fully organic or thoughtfully select any fertilizer and pest control measures. When other dining establishments are worried about recalls or shortages, clubs with a culinary garden will be fully stocked.
With ever-increasing costs, raising ingredients yourself is one way to cut down on the price of essential ingredients while also paying less for ingredients that are of better quality and freshness. Plants help filter the air we need to breathe, providing environmental benefits. Culinary gardens also cut down on the packaging of purchased ingredients. Less packaging means less waste in landfills, along with cutting out a large amount of carbon emissions as a result of transportation of goods.
Tending to a garden can bring a tremendous sense of accomplishment and fulfillment, while also being used as a team-building exercise to create a happier, more cohesive staff. Successful culinary gardens need well designed plans, but it can still be a project that is easily within reach for clubs—no matter the amount of space available. When selecting a location, the most important factors to consider are sunlight, water access, ground conditions and distance from the kitchen. It’s also important to know the climate and what grows best during each season.
A culinary garden is beneficial for chefs, members and—most importantly—for the food.