CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Inflation is impacting some industries more than others -- restaurants and farmers are really being hit. If customers haven't already noticed those added costs, they could soon.
Many of the restaurants in the Charlotte region purposely source their food from farmers in the area, and the two groups are coming together to help each other in a big way.
Wednesdays are the big days at the Freshlist warehouse in Charlotte. That’s when food comes in from the farms and is prepped to be delivered to restaurants in the area.
“We go out, pick up from farms, and then deliver to restaurants and homeowners and those costs we’ve seen go up a little bit for sure,” Matt Martin, Freshlist co-founder, said.
Martin said the food industry, in general, has been walloped by inflation and is getting hit from every direction.
"It’s challenging -- there’s a re-calibration that’s gonna happen where prices may go up in restaurants," Martin said. "It might be more than what you paid last year but you have to understand things are changing and things might go up a little bit."
Longtime Charlotte restaurant 300 East gets some of their ingredients from Freshlist.
"Our costs for food ingredients and everything associated with running a business has increased dramatically," Ashley Boyd, the culinary director at 300 East, said.
The foodies of Charlotte are coming together to help each other. The Piedmont Culinary Guild (PCG) is hosting a special fundraiser open to the public on Sept. 25: the Farm to Fork Picnic in the Garden.
2019 Farm to Fork Picnic in the Garden
"The goal is to help our farmers, especially young farmers, learning to feed us and deal with all the challenges they’re coming up against," Boyd explained.
But Boyd admits the best part is seeing the industry -- chefs and farmers across the region who are technically competitors -- come together.
“It’s just a really great community," Boyd said. "We do work together it’s a nice community and it’s still relatively small, even though it’s growing quickly."
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Proceeds from the event will support agriculture and food system training programs at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems and farmer grants at Piedmont Culinary Guild.
"The guild has been fortunate to partner with CEFS over the years to create this wonderful showcase of flavors of the Piedmont," PCG Executive Director Kris Reid said. "This event raises money for Farm Grants that allows farmer members of the guild to compete for funds that could help them with projects or purchase assets needed to build efficiency and profitability. We are excited to get back to the work of connecting our food chain and supporting farmers.”
The event sold out the first two years in a row and quickly became a major culinary and sustainable food awareness event in the Charlotte area. This year’s Farm to Fork Picnic in the Garden will feature over 30 of the Charlotte area’s chefs and farmers creating dishes that highlight the seasonal bounty of local farms.
Tickets for the event are available on Eventbrite through CEFS & Piedmont Culinary Guild. Guests will be able to sample locally-sourced foods and beverages, meet chefs and farmers, listen to live music, and enjoy the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden.
Contact Michelle at mboudin@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.