Exchanging produce for vouchers at local resrestaurants and cafes

[Gardening Garry]

Is anyone aware of any restaurants, cafes or schemes in the UK that encourage people to exchange produce for vouchers?

When I was younger and working for a local café, I remember trying many different methods of engaging with the local community. The idea of being able to give my excess produce to a local cafe in return for a voucher seems rather mutually beneficial! Has anyone seen an example of this in practice, and was it successful?

 

[Tetters]

welcome to the forum Garry. I wonder which part of the UK you are in? I can`t see this happening now, even though it seems like a good idea.
We were thinking, though, of having a chat with our local garden shop. Water cress is a product that is grown and sold here in those shops, so why not other supplies

There do seem to be lots of ''farmers markets'' happening more recently.

 

[Gardening Garry]

Thank you for the warm welcome Tetters, I'm from East Yorkshire.

I think it's a good idea to go and ask, surely the idea this produce has almost zero food miles and was grown here it could be a nice selling point for the shop. Especially amoung those who are actively trying to eat local and seasonal with the environment in mind.

I'd be interested to know what your local garden shop makes of it.

 

[Tetters]

It`s a bit early to ask them at the moment. We are hoping to produce a fair quantity of rhubarb ( I think most of it is produced ''up `ome'' in Yorkshire) We have quite a few plants started now, and plan to increase. When the time comes I`ll let you know how it goes, as long as you stick around for a while

Are you going to start making enquiries there then? What are you growing?
I am all for growing and eating produce that`s grown locally.

 

[Gardening Garry]

With my job at the moment I have to move every 6 months, although it's within the fresh produce industry so I'm happy to be learning, but I just never have the opportunity to settle down and grow anything myself. My family had an allotment when I was younger, which was a great experience and I'm keen to get back to it once my scheme is over and I won't be moving around so much!

I was mainly enquiring because I want to test this concept of cafes and restaurants offering vouchers to growers in return for produce, and see if it could work. I mainly want to give small businesses an opportunity to engage with their local community, something big chains would struggle to do. I've made a draft website for the idea (https://allotmorelocal.wixsite.com/website) and will test it once I move to Lincolnshire mid-April.

I think that even if the produce doesn't come in regularly and you never know what you'll get, surely getting a bit of veg from someone down the road, who could easily become your customer is a good idea. But this doesn't appear to happen much around the UK, so maybe I'm a little crazy to think it could work

 

[zigs]

Welcome to the forum Garry

Good idea. Not aware of any schemes but that doesn't mean to say they're not around.

I used to part pay for my driving lessons with veg from my allotment

 

[Gardening Garry]

Thanks for kind welcome Zigs.

I love the idea of part paying for driving lessons, the perfect exchange of goods and services

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Interesting thought. Just go about and ask them. Or leave information with them with what you will be growing etc. see what happens.

 

[Gardening Garry]

Definitely Esther, I'm going to speak with a local cafe and try get people to take their surplus produce to them, just to see what happens. Maybe the lack of notice could he a nice challenge for the chefs, to come up with meals from what they've been given.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Definitely Esther, I'm going to speak with a local cafe and try get people to take their surplus produce to them, just to see what happens. Maybe the lack of notice could he a nice challenge for the chefs, to come up with meals from what they've been given.

You may get them to start a "IN SEASON" Menu that changes with the produce available. Even if you get some type of barter system instead of money that would be great. Like a ticket to a meal etc.

 

[Gardening Garry]

You may get them to start a "IN SEASON" Menu that changes with the produce available. Even if you get some type of barter system instead of money that would be great. Like a ticket to a meal etc.

I really like the idea of an "in season" menu, and I can imagine it being popular. Many supermarkets are already putting an emphasis on seasonal vegetables as a selling point, so maybe that could be my way to convince them.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Around me a lot of Amish live, so road side stands and larger Amish markets are everywhere selling their veggies. Prices are decent. They also make produces like homemade jams and jellies, bread, cakes, noodles, cheese, free range eggs, raw eggs. There is one farm I go to I can pick up 30 eggs for $2.00, fresh laid.