Innovation

The business innovation put in place by Earth to Table: Bread Bar is a farm located between Guelph and Hamilton. The way the farm is run is called a 'farm start' program, and was explained by Katie Shewen, the Assistant General Manager of Earth to Table: Bread Bar Guelph as "it's for people that want to learn about farming and start to see what potential there is there. It is also open for people to come and help farm." Katie also said that the purpose of the farm is "really going back to the roots of food and bringing that to the forefront."

Inspiration

The founders of Earth to Table: Bread Bar, Jeff and Bettina, worked together at a restaurant called Ancaster Mill as Chef and Pastry Chef. They were asked to create a pamphlet for the restaurant on seasonal eating, and that pamphlet grew into the cookbook, Earth to Table. As Katie Shewen explained, the cookbook is "set up via season. So it's seasonal eating, it's trying to embrace that, so not eating strawberries in December." After the launch of the cookbook, the first Earth to Table: Bread Bar opened in Hamilton. The restaurant "grew out of that passion for seasonal eating and Earth to Table."

Overall impact

The main effects of the innovation can be considered either short term or long term, depending on the specific consumer. The main effect is the learning curve for the consumer, because people get used to having whatever they want, when they want it, and they also get used to going to restaurants – particularly larger chain restaurants where things are a lot cheaper because they're buying in bulk from wherever. There's little interest into the care that goes into the food, so there's a bit of a learning curve when people wonder why they're paying $30 for a pizza. "We're really not overcharging" Katie clarified, "we're not making a huge amount of profit on that pizza, because we're bothering to spend the money on the good products to put on the pizza."

Business benefit

The impact of the innovation on the business was the ability to serve up fresh and seasonal food and therefore to be able to have customers who are overall more satisfied with the quality of the food. It also allows customers to get excited about seasonal menu items, and to look forward to certain points in the year to be able to eat those menu items again. As Katie explained: "So, for instance, right now we have the beet salad and brussel sprouts on the menu and people love them, and then they disappear for awhile. Then, when they come back, everyone is super excited about it, so it really has worked which has been great. People will come and say well how come you don't have the beet salad anymore? It's because beets aren't in season."

Social and environmental benefit

The impact that Earth to Table: Bread Bar and seasonal eating has had on society is it has allowed consumers to think more about where their food comes from, what is in season, and what is better to consume at which points in the year. Katie Shewen was able to explain the impact very well: "I think it's good to get people thinking again about seasonal eating. I think we have gotten way too used to going to the grocery store and getting whatever we want."

The impact of the innovation on the environment is the ability to rely less on polluting forms of transportation to get bulk foods transported to Earth to Table: Bread Bar from areas where the food may be in season when they aren't in season in Guelph.

Interview

Katie Shewen, Assistant General Manager