We sat down with Songsoo Kim, Head of Sourcing and Development at Super 8, the restaurant group home to Brat, Kiln and Smoking Goat. Seven years ago, after visiting Gothelney Farm, run by Fred Price, Songsoo experienced a shift in perspective.
“I instantly felt that the work I do at the restaurant is connected to something bigger. I think most humans need to feel a sense of purpose, and to be able to feel that you’re a part of that is a good feeling. It is to know that the place you are at is not perfect, but this bit you’re doing, this pork bit that you’re grilling and cooking is part of a larger, better system.”
Songsoo Kim Farmers & chefs are partners
Why you should invest in your primary producers
Partnership building.
When you have a relationship with your farmers, there is a feedback loop. Building relationships with your producers means you are able to exchange insights and ideas.
“It’s not just to consume and then say, ‘oh that wasn’t that great, let’s not get it again’. Or it’s not just, ‘that was really good, let’s keep getting it’ and not say anything. It’s about developing something together. That’s what sourcing is ultimately for me. It’s to develop relationships so that you can enrich each other with the kind of information that is needed for both sides.”
Creating meaning.
“When the chefs and front of house staff visit these farms it changes the way they engage with your guests. It becomes more valuable, it creates a sense of sacredness to the things you eat and serve to others. What once was just a transaction changes to something that is more meaningful.”
How to get started connecting to your producers
Focus on one or two producers who you would like to work with initially, and then next year aim to establish a few more relationships.
“It doesn’t all have to happen at the same time. It doesn’t have to be perfect. To strive for perfection and not do anything is probably more detrimental.”
How to shift your perspective on youR relationship with your primary producers
You and your primary producers are part of the same system.
Having a well-farmed ingredient is central to making delicious food and feeding guests. The farms are not just where you buy things, they’re part of your system as well. “In that context it’s not you and them, it’s us.”
If you’re a chef considering opening a restaurant, think about doing so in conjunction with a farm
Songsoo believes it’s one of the most ambitious things you can do, shaping your menu and ideas.
“Find joy in tasting differences between farms—visit them, eat on-site, volunteer, and learn what it takes to grow your food. Once you begin doing these things, you value a relationship, the product and the produce more. You develop a relationship that’s based on feedback and exchange, rather than just purchasing. Sustainability isn’t just ecological sustainability, it involves lots of relational aspects, it’s a process of perseverance.”
Get out and visit your producers’ farms
‘It's important to experience farm work firsthand and appreciate it in that setting—stories alone aren't enough. Connecting those stories to real-life tangible experiences, like being in the field, talking with your farmers, seeing and touching the animals, and observing their system, whether you understand it fully or not, reveals so much. “You don’t have to understand all the details to know there’s something good going on.”