This is the latest installment of Foodie Underground.
The food coverage approach at EcoSalon can be summed up as: "Good food, from good places, with good people." That can be broadly interpreted, but as the Foodie Underground columnist I get the chance to take a look at the food movement from the perspective of food lovers. After all, "from supper clubs to mini farmers' markets to beyond... weekly!" was the original thrust of this column. So I was intrigued when I was approached by Burger King to interview the fast food chain's Executive Chef John Koch. With a new bacon-related launch -- we're living in a "Bacon Nation," I've been told -- they had most likely come across one of my various references to bacon-wrapped-anything that has topped foodie menus over the course of the last two years.
"Bacon is also a "real food," which is another big trend right now. We are becoming more aware of additives and heavy processing. We're moving toward clean foods, foods and ingredients we recognize and can pronounce. Real foods."
But what does "real food" mean to a nationwide chain known for pumping out highly processed, highly caloric meals? When it comes to bacon, at least, it means that Burger King is stepping it up in the fast food realm, opting for naturally smoked meat as opposed to "spray on smoke." (This is how some fast food chains achieve that smokey flavor.)
An interview with Burger King's executive chief and columnist Anna Brones.
Koch cites Burger King's efforts towards selling "real food" with such examples as "eggs [prepared] in house every day" and "domestically sourcing" all bacon. What that means is that other restaurants are doing the opposite, warming up pre-made eggs and importing their bacon from abroad. But simply because Burger King is taking a step away from such a direction, is what they're doing really very forward, let alone enough to make a significant change in the food system?
I turned to Jeff Harvey, President and CEO of Burgerville, a Pacific Northwest-based chain food restaurant with 38 locations (soon to be 39) in Oregon and Washington. In the Northwest, they're known for their seasonal milkshakes -- blackberry is an annual hit -- as well as their commitment to locally-sourced ingredients.
Burgerville's model is based on creating personal relationships with farmers in the area, working with growers to understand who they are and what they can provide and then introducing them to Burgerville's distribution partner, Sysco.
"It's not a moral thing, not an ethical thing, it's a business thing," says Harvey.
Their burgers are made with pastured, vegetarian-fed and antibiotic-free beef from local farms. The chain partners with companies like SeQuential Biofuels, which recycles cooking oil into biofuels and in 2007 helped the chain convert used oil into 39,750 gallons of biodiesel. Burgerville also purchases wind power credits equal to 100 percent of their electricity use. The chain's efforts get it plenty of accolades in the sustainable business community.
But is such a model a viable option for larger fast food chains?
"Do we believe you can expand that model? For us the answer is yes. Is it economically feasible? I think that is a big question in terms of how companies have built their model," says Harvey.
Ultimately, the chosen model depends on the goal of a food provider. "The commitment to local only works if the [company's business] model is intended to build vitality and sustainability in the local marketplace. You do need genuine relationships to accomplish that. You can't do that if you're a nationwide chain," says Harvey.
Read the rest at EcoSalon.