We know most of the names of the people who grow our ingredients. Not because it’s fashionable, but because relationships change the way we think about what we eat. we have Hodmedod’s to thank for this amazing confidence, they have been redesigning and leading change in agroeconomic food systems with beans and grains for decades too.
“Some companies source ingredients. Hodmedod’s nurtures relationships directly with the farmers.”
Marketing? No we don’t have a marketing department.
What we do have is a foundation of genuine relationships that have taken decades to build, and a community. People who get their hands in the soil, and when we chat to the farmers we never start with by talking about yield or price. The most memorable conversations are the ones standing in the fields in your boots on a rainy spring day admiring the diversity in the hedgerows, or remarking how well the beans are growing this year.
When your conversations with the farmer is about the skylarks singing this spring because they have returned because the hedgerows are growing back you know you are getting things right. It tells us the land is changing. It reminds us that every decision made in a field and the mill echoes through the flour, the loaf and, ultimately, the food on our table.
This is why we ask that our bakers work closely with Hodmedods, our millers and our farmers. We don’t simply source ingredients; we build relationships. We know the stories behind the grains, pulses and botanicals because we know the people who grow them. That connection creates accountability, but more importantly, it creates care. The greatest measure of integrity is how a business treats the people who grow its food. Hodmedod’s has never forgotten that every harvest begins with a relationship.
.. and we will be introducing you to what is going on the farm as part of our newsletters .. because the farmers care for the land that grows the grain we eat. That matters.