Eat Greater Des Moines offers Speed Dating, Local Food Style!
Eat Greater Des Moines and the Iowa Food Cooperative are delighted to announce a unique opportunity for local food producers and area chefs to attend Speed Dating – Local Food Style. Similar to traditional speed dating with a one-on-one atmosphere, the event will be held from 1:00 – 3:30 p.m., Monday, November 11, 2013, at 1736 Guthrie Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa.
Local producers interested in selling food products to local restaurants and chefs from local restaurants are encouraged to attend. The speed-dating sessions will give chefs and producers an opportunity to talk one-on-one. Producers will have a chance to share the products they currently have available and chefs will be able to give feedback on the variety of foods they would like to see more of when purchasing for their restaurant.
Aubrey Martinez, director for Eat Greater Des Moines encourages food producers, chefs and anyone interested in being a part of a conversation regarding wholesale distribution of local products to attend. “We are excited to bring the conversation of wholesale purchasing of locally produced food to a new level of business-to-business (B2B) cooperation,” said Martinez.
Martinez continues, “Central Iowa is home to amazing producers and restaurants. We hope this speed-dating session gives them the opportunity to connect and drive continued growth of the local food system. Additionally, we are excited to hear attendees’ thoughts on the opportunity to aggregate and distribute local food products at a wholesale level. The Iowa Food Cooperative has been filling this need for individual consumers for years and we are excited they are looking at expanding into wholesale.”