It is a worldwide trend that consumers are increasingly demanding to know where the food they eat comes from and under what sort of conditions the mielie or beef on their plate was grown or reared.
Sustainable farming is now far from just a buzzword and, amid this increased awareness of food production, the distance produce must travel to get to us is also becoming an important consideration.
Business partners Lecia de Villiers and Andrew Broughton, the brains behind The Food Studio in Walmer, have started another new venture, Foodies, which ties in with this shift in consumer consciousness. The Food Studio is a hidden gem in the Bloomingdales centre in Main Main Road, behind 2 Fat Butchers, the meat deli started by Andrew and his brother, Craig, eight years ago. Here Lecia and Andrew’s team of five chefs have been hosting innovative, intimate themed dinners to rave reviews since September 2017.
“Foodies is a platform for farmers and suppliers from the Bay and Eastern Cape to sell their goods to the consumer directly,” Lecia explained.“The two businesses compliment each other as The Food Studio is the culinary experience venue where customers get to taste our food, while Foodies is the deli where all the products are available.”
Fans of popular 2 Fat Butchers can rest assured the brand is not disappearing, but being included under the banner of Foodies, Lecia explained.
We asked Lecia and Andrew about their new initiative.
How did you research the Foodies concept and what was the vision behind it?
We researched international retail trends and have also learnt through The Food Studio that people are wanting a more authentic shopping, eating and living experience. We feel it’s time for customers to know what they are really putting on their plates. We want Foodies to be a place where they can ask any questions about the food we stock. Being foodies ourselves, our vision is to offer excellent quality products at competitive prices.
What was the impetus for Foodies and how does it work?
The retail industry has changed in recent years and we wanted to evolve with that change. We found it hard to offer a broad array of high-quality stock at competitive prices, with some suppliers wanting payment on delivery. This motivated us to think of the box and we came up with a new system, which is the key behind Foodies.
How has allowing farmers to sell directly via Foodies affected business?
It has allowed for prices to drop across the board and for us to be able to showcase a larger variety of products. The customer is winning, and our farmers and suppliers are much happier as they can now showcase stock we may not have been in the position to take before. Farmers and suppliers are also involved in shared marketing via social media, which benefits us all.
What has the response to Foodies been like?
We opened during the Ironman world champs and expected a quiet weekend but had a surprisingly great response considering we’d done no marketing besides the sign going up outside. Since then we’ve seen steady growth. Customers are happy to have seen prices drop across the board and are enjoying a much larger selection of products.
How did The Food Studio help to inspire Foodies?
Our chefs were often having to source products elsewhere but now most of what they need is under one roof.
How do 2 Fat Butchers fit into the concept?
2 Fat Butchers are among Foodies’ suppliers and oversee the quality of all the meat we receive. They still specialise in great pork products. All the lamb, beef, wagyu beef and chicken are from our farmers.
What made you decide to embark on this journey?
We love food and want people to reconnect around food. The Food Studio was our first step in this direction and we hope to keep growing people’s love for sharing great food.
What excites you about your suppliers?
Every supplier, farmer or artisan who works with passion to create a quality product makes us really happy, whether it’s the small local goat’s cheese or aquaponics farmer or the larger, certified grass-fed lamb and beef supplier. We want to support locals wherever possible and stock products not available elsewhere.
Why is it important for consumers to consider a ‘new’ way of shopping?
A new generation of responsible shoppers is here. Customers are wanting to know more; they want to support local people who are also trying to make a living from their produce. All our suppliers are from the Eastern Cape which means a lot to us and the people who shop with us.If customers want we can put them directly in touch with our farmers. We’ve also been focused on highlighting our wonderful farmers at The Food Studio over the last month.
What are your future plans?
We hope to attract more artisans and suppliers to offer the public authentic, traceable, quality products. We also hope to have more live cooking demonstrations during the day, as well as pop-up opportunities for people who’d like to showcase their flavours. We want to stock boutique wines with a story, top-quality, hand-made crafts and we also hope to attract someone who is wanting to start up a micro-coffee business within our space. This will compliment our pastry chef’s scrumptious daily bakes and we envision people relaxing in store, having a coffee while watching the chef in action.
What’s coming up at The Food Studio?
We’ll be showcasing Plett Deli Factory’s duck on September 26 and will have a Langside  veld-reared beef evening on 4 October 4 and a Dockside Brewery evening on the 10th. The highlight of October, with date still to be confirmed, will be our first birthday bash. All five of our chefs will be involved in creating eight incredible dishes for an unforgettable culinary celebration.
Foodies is open from 8am to 5.30pm on weekdays and 8am to 2.30pm on Saturdays. Contact 041-271-0082.