Here’s a not-so-fun fact: more than 10% of CO2 emissions are created by the transportation of food. Serving your guests locally produced food is not just good location marketing, it’s also doing the planet a favour. Additionally, promoting vegetarian cooking is another excellent method. In all but the coldest countries, vegetables, mushrooms and other plant-based foods are going to be logistically easier and cheaper to serve up, especially if you grow your own. The meat industry is also fairly infamous at this point for how much land and water it uses and its overall contribution to global warming. However, you need not cut meat out entirely if it can be sourced locally.
We’re fairly blessed at Cabilaco to be based in an area with a growing number of organic farms – the scenery is covered in forest at a distance, and pig pens when you get closer, a far cry from the desolate landscapes intensive meat farming leaves behind. There are nearby smallholdings that provide high-quality vegetables, and wild mushrooms at the right times of the year. As a result we’re able to provide high-quality organic meals that outdo city tapas (writer’s opinion). This is made all the more easier with our chef Jetske, who, with her creativity, taste and talent tickles our taste-buds and revives in us the pleasures of eating well. And a quick shout-out to our suppliers Las Tierras del Murtiga, who supported our first event with a discount and provide weekly baskets of organic vegetables – perfect if you want to enjoy the pleasures of such food from the comfort of your home.