Growing with purpose - The story behind our freshest produce

At The Good Eating Company, we're proud to be led by purpose. It isn't just a feel-good ethos - it's a way of life and a way we've grown to live by.

Sustainability, seasonality, and wellbeing have formed the foundation of our actions and are at the heart of everything we do. As a premium food service provider, fresh ingredients are not just essential but non-negotiable.

That's why we  grow our produce on a one-acre plot at a farm in West Sussex, supporting our approach towards a more sustainable and resilient food system. It’s a move that we've grown passionate about. Not only does it bring out the best flavours and freshest, healthiest meals, it also  contributes to the holistic wellbeing of those we serve.

Keeping our menus in mind when growing

With our menus in mind, we grow a wide variety of vegetables and herbs, picking the freshest produce to feature as a soup, main course, side dish, or even dessert. Produce such as rainbow chard, golden beetroot, pak choi, kale, swede, rocket and lemon balm are among the colourful and more unusual varieties we grow.

For us at GEC it's about more than just growing crops; it's about nurturing the land through regenerative agriculture techniques. We prioritise soil health and biodiversity and foster a different way of farming that minimises reliance on external inorganic inputs such as chemical fertilisers or pesticides.  Instead, we're encouraging more biodiversity and natural means to support the environment and enrich our soil. 

This is a fantastic initiative and builds on our commitment to source fresh, locally grown ingredients and reduce food waste. Working with Farmer Tom and his team we can influence what is grown and adapt our menus to ensure they are sustainable, seasonal and great tasting for our customers.

An added benefit is the learning we can offer our teams and our clients with visits to the farm to understand more about what regenerative farming practices could look like and how important it is for soil health and biodiversity.

Alex Kristall, 

Managing Director, The Good Eating Company UK

We nurture the land using natural composting techniques and manure to build soil fertility. Our four-legged friends also help manage and maintain our plot's healthy ecosystems.

Did You Know ? 

Pigs can act as natural tillers. Turning the soil and incorporating composted organic material. 

Through these natural and holistic techniques, the farm fosters a thriving ecosystem, which results in some exceptional produce that we are fortunate enough to feature in our menus and share with our clients.

Social impact and getting staff involved

The farm is also part of an initiative supporting a broader wellbeing and social impact programme. We invite staff to spend time on the farm, allowing them to leave the big smoke behind and get their hands dirty, helping on our plot - with the bonus of allowing them to breathe and reflect away from their daily routine. It offers an opportunity to reconnect with nature while learning about sustainable growing practices.

Fostering environmental responsibility

As a purpose-led business, we're proud to make responsible choices and we are committed to fostering a culture of environmental responsibility - one that positively impacts the communities in which we operate.

Some of the initiatives include

• Helping refugees through the Breadwinners bakery
• Reducing food waste through Sodexo's WasteWatch programme
• Offering its Goodness range of recipes, developed based on the Planetary Health Diet and using the latest research from the World Resources Institute to make healthy and sustainable diets tangible

By taking food production back to its very basic principles we are confident it will encourage greater respect for the product we harvest and minimise waste.