Sourced Local

This time of year is one of my favorites. Not only is it beautiful outside: fresh snow and all but we get a chance to play a little. When chefs play it means new dishes, new menus, and fresh ideas. We have always made alterations and up dates to our menus and website at this time of year. We are suppose to be slower now( thats another whole story that didn't really appear this year) and have time to do it. We have always tried to source our products from the region as much as practically possible. This year we took it one step further and have come up with a new menu ( although we are still messing with it a bit) The dishes are minimum 75% regionally sourced with the remained of the ingredients sourced with a Canadian first criteria.
What does this mean? It has been a challenge to secure a sufficient supply line but it seems to be working out.
  I have been working with the likes of Jesse from Rose Creek ranch just outside Pincher Creek to supply farm raised beef and Allan from Broek Pork Acres to supply pork. I have alway gotten as many vegetables from Mike at Riverside particularly all that spinach and squash I use in the summer. The Pincher Creek Colony will be suppling more of my eggs, and veggies as well as those big chickens for the Crab-apple Cider Roasted Chicken which by the way the crab apple cider syrup is made by us from local crab apples. And on and on it goes.

What does it mean to our customers? They will receive a superior tasting product while supporting more small regional businesses. It means they can have confidence that the meat and veggies have been handled by folks that care about the products they produce. It means that more of their dollars are staying in the communities in Alberta. It's a win win scenario.

So the questions that beg answering: why isn't all our product from local sources and why do we need another menu for these local sourced dishes? Well there are a number of reasons behind it all. First and foremost - The supply volume. Take the case of my beef products. Jesse is working hard to be able to supply all my beef products for all our dishes but he is still unsure if for this year if he has the production for that amount of volume we require. I would have used every prime rib he could have supplied for 1 Teck Christmas Party. A similar scenario exists with Allan and the pork. He has to work me into his production schedule. He only has so many pigs on hand at any given time. Next in line- Cost  and that is a big one. The cost of the raw product is higher from these small producers than from the big outfits. They use organic farming methods etc that produces less yield and all that jazz. The bottom line is that it cost me more so in turn it has to cost more on the menu. But there is still a large part of our customer base that have a smaller budget and we want to continue to supply options for them.

What does it mean in the long run? We will continue to produce great meals at a reasonable price from as much local product as we can ( all my beef is still AAA Alberta beef, the new stuff is just from a named ranch source) just like we always have but now we are offering another option for those that this trend appeals to. It means that all the meals served to our B&B guests will be Alberta sourced. And it means the customer wins in the end.

You can find the new menu here

New Marketing Media

In the never ending search for ways to market your business Facebook and Twitter are high in the trend department. Social Media is producing great results for many a group. As of July 2009 there were 250 million active Facebook accounts. That's a lot of people. It's difficult to ignore the potential of even .001% of that many people being exposed to your product and when you couple it with the fact that a basic profile is free of charge well it's insanity not to try it.

I took the dive yesterday and Country Encounters got a Facebook page. It was easy. Now the basic page is up with some pictures and a February special. We have some fans and are gaining more. Fans = Exposure. And we will see what happens. The real catch - can that exposure convert into bookings. Only time will tell.

You can see the page and become a fan at  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Crowsnest-Pass-Alberta/Country-Encounters-Accommodations/292537371679?ref=share

New ways to post

You can tell that Sunday and holidays are the days I spend cruisin' around looking at stuff on the net. I came across this article at Hospitality Trends http://www.htrends.com/trends-detail-sid-42081.html and immediately thought of the nice comment Sue @ Turtleback cottage left me and a chat I had with Dianne from the Bellevue underground mine( ya we are all talking about blogging and twitter etc. and how it can be used in our respective jobs.) Now this type of post could work for me as a quick post during those times when I'm really busy. So I think soon we will be seeing more photos and things from the kitchen and B&B but not too many. I've never been a fan of all pictures.

Ya the Christmas Party is Back!!

So I've been booking Christmas parties left and right over the last few weeks. Lots of them, more than last year and new groups. This is great. I did a bit of advertising in the local paper and I was attributing it mostly to that. Good I think it's paid off. Then I came across this article in Hospitality Trends http: www.htrends.com/trends-detail-sid-42139.html . Ok so it just wasn't my ad but then again the groups may have been thinking about it and the ad urged them to action either way the result is the same: a busy Christmas season. Thanks Crowsnest Pass for thinking of us.

New Tastes are a Go!

It must be true. People are tired of the same old offerings.


I had an interesting tie in to an article I read regarding restaurant trends happen today. One of my repeat customers is having a retreat coming up soon and when the front desk clerk contacted her to find out how many people would be attending, she asked what my experiments were lately. What she was referring to; I tend when left to decide the menus for a function, to serve things I have been playing with and they usually follow some sort of theme. For instance when I came back from our trip to NOLA last winter I was hooked on Creole and Caribbean (that came from the cruise further south that was part oft that trip) dishes. Now how it works for me is I will come home and duplicate as closely as possible whatever it is that took my fancy then I start playing with it, adapting it to easily acquired ingredients, service styles etc. Usually the resulting dish is a blended thing that the original creators would not necessarily recognise but is my interpretation. Also things tend to evolve and developed for us out of boredom. We get board making the same things so we go in spurts making the unusual; right now Mark is on a bread making kick so if you end up at a banquet in the near future that has a bunch of different types of breads and buns offered , yes we made them while playing around. I'll post the recipe for the best one( it never did make it to the buffet table as it was grabbed up by staff and friends) or you can look for it come the Christmas banquet season.

This article I was reading was quoting trends with consumers. According the survey they quoted " Consumers are interested in expanding their palates when dining out and want to patronize restaurants that offer innovative flavours. A new study from foodservice industry consultant Technomic finds that 42 percent of consumers, particularly males aged 25 to 34, are more likely to visit restaurants that offer new or unique flavours" It reinforces what we do by being creative. Now if I could just get organisers to follow trend and live a little on the wild side maybe their guests could get that itch in " expanding their palates" scratched.

Other interesting results from that survey include:

• Two-thirds of consumers (66 percent) say that discovering a new flavor at a restaurant can persuade them to return to that venue for the same dish, and more than half (55 percent) say they may try other dishes there.

• A substantial portion of diners (36 percent) say they are more interested in trying new flavors than they were a year ago.

• Over a third of consumers (35 percent) are willing to spend more on a meal that incorporates new or innovative flavors.

• Among less broadly established ethnic cuisines, those of high interest include Spanish (72 percent), Hawaiian (71 percent), Tex-Mex (69 percent), Greek (66 percent), and Caribbean and Mediterranean (66 and 62 percent).

• Roughly one-third of consumers look for sauces and condiments that are low in fat or calories (34 percent) and sodium (29 percent), or prefer to use 'organic' or 'all-natural' condiments when available (26 percent).

• Garlic, pepper and smoky barbecue flavor profiles dominate entrée menus. Global influences are also prominent, specifically those with a Mexican, Asian and Italian flair.

'Flavor innovation presents a solid competitive advantage for both operators and manufacturers, especially when it comes to dips, sauces, condiments and marinades,' says Darren Tristano, EVP of Technomic. 'The punch of heat and spice, and the balance of creaminess or sweetness underscores the uniqueness in the preparation. An unusual flavor profile could be one that drives repeat visits by consumers.'

The 2009 Flavor Consumer Trend Report's Consumer Insights section examines flavor preferences and purchasing behaviour based on surveys of more than 1,500 consumers. The Menu Insights section utilizes Technomic's proprietary Menu Monitor database to provide an in-depth look at how leading, independent and emerging chain restaurant operators are incorporating flavor profiles into menu items. Throughout the report, 2009 results are compared to results from Technomic's 2007 Flavor Trend Category Report. Appendices feature menu listings showcasing the top 10 flavors as measured by menu data, plus detailed demographic profiles of consumers who enjoy these top 10 flavors.

Find the original article here