From farmer to plate: know your suppliers

Japanese chefs have a saying about the role their producers and suppliers play in cooking: '80% of cooking takes place outside the kitchen'. Saying nothing more than that, they value all the work that is done by the breeders, fishermen, breeders, sake and soy sauce brewers and even knife sharpeners. This development is rapidly spreading across the rest of the world. Every chef has a number of 'suppliers to the royal house', about whom they communicate with their guests. Preferably, these suppliers come from the region where the restaurant is located. René Redzepi's 'time and place' philosophy is based on these principles. The suppliers are almost part of the team there.

All in all, the realization is growing that the chef is an extension of nature and its workers and that it is essential to build a good relationship with them. All chefs who follow this philosophy also say that it fuels their creativity. The most important thing is that you know what you are serving your guests. This is only possible if you know your suppliers well. When you know everything about the product and the supplier, you have control over the quality from farm to fork. You know every step in the life cycle of your products.

Quality control

Just as chefs are increasingly studying the origin of their products, we at Debic can always trace back where the milk for our products comes from. This way we keep control over the quality of our range. This way you can confidently start creating the most beautiful dishes.

Visiting the farm

Just as one cook is not like another, there are all kinds of farmers. We visited 24-year-old Gert-Jan Roseboom in Borger to see how this young ambitious farmer produces his milk. The production of milk naturally starts with the cows on the farm. Healthy and satisfied animals form the basis of the quality of the milk. That is why Gert-Jan continuously invests in improving the company. He ensures good housing, health and comfort for the cows. About 80% of its own feed is also produced on the farm: grass clover and silage maize in combination with concentrate. The cows are milked twice a day. The milk is kept on the farm in a cooling tank at a temperature of 3.7 C. Every two to three days, the fresh milk is collected and transported to the production location. At Debic, we develop our line of professional dairy products from this basic raw material.