We all agree that food is meant to be nourishing. So how did we find ourselves at the mercy of a factory-farmed, industrial food supply that stocks grocery store aisles with foods designed for shelf-life rather than nutrition?
RFRK believes that all kids deserve access to fresh, healthy, and natural foods. Other catering companies are content to re-heat pre-packaged, processed food products and call it "cooking." To us, that's like calling a floor lamp "sunshine."
We're calling for a back-to-basics Real Food revolution. We use locally-grown and produced foods because they taste better, and because we respect our environment. We cook fresh from scratch, using only whole, all-natural ingredients. We make it a point to find ways to make organic foods fit within our partners' budgets. We even grind our own spices and make our own sauces, dips, dressings, and marinades.
Squeeze-bottle ketchup on factory farm dime-a-dozen burgers? None here, thanks. We prefer to serve our Tomato Chutney, spiced and diced in our very own Real Food Kitchen, with our all-natural (read: no fillers) grass-fed beef patties. Now that's something you'd want to sink your teeth into!
North American food culture has seen a steady decline in recent generations, characterized by a dangerous slide away from nutritious and locally-grown whole foods, and toward cheap, highly processed "convenience foods." The reason is simple: we were enticed by low prices and short-term convenience, and misinformed about nutrition and the inevitable long-term health consequences of our choices. This has been called our "Fast Food Nation," and it's put us on course for a shorter life expectancy, and a lower quality of life. The new status quo is unacceptable to Real Food for Real Kids, and we fight hard to overturn it.
And we're succeeding: by leveraging economies of scale, buying premium ingredients directly from local producers, and creating highly efficient delivery systems, we're able to provide our high-quality meals and snacks within childcare and school budgets. Yes, it is possible. It's an uphill battle, but we're passionate about transforming our food culture back into one that is healthful, responsible, and sustainable.
You might say that it's our raison d'etre.
Transforming children's eating habits is no small feat! That's why we've recruited an amazing team to lead the change. From our plugged-in and dedicated client service to our amazing delivery crew (and all points in between: nutrition education experts, a talented kitchen staff, the people who source our food), we go to great lengths to ensure that keeping your kids engaged in the real food experience is child's play.
It would be easier for us to put less attention into what goes into little tummies and minds, but we know that what's easier isn't always better, especially when it comes to our kids' wellbeing.
These days, the environment is on everybody's mind - including ours. We hope to be judged not just by what we create in the Real Food Kitchen, but also by our practices.
We're a Local Food Plus Market Partner, which means that we've been recognized for our efforts to link consumers with food grown and produced in Ontario and have made a commitment to look first to Ontario for all our ingredients. Not only is locally-grown food tastier and packed with more nutrients than food that has traveled long distances, choosing to use as much local as possible also reduces our food miles. And when you're feeding as many kid-size lunches as we are, those miles add up to make a real difference. By supporting family farms, we get to know (and more importantly, trust!) the people who are growing our food. We work with local farms and artisan producers that share our commitment to sustainable practices.
Beyond sourcing locally, RFRK is committed to lessening our environmental impact by sending as little trash as possible to our overflowing landfills. The biggest step we've taken to achieve this lofty goal is delivering our food in reusable stainless steel containers, eliminating the wasteful packaging that so often trails behind food service companies. Ethical business isn't just a sound bite for us - it's the way we work.
"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime."
This is what drives us. To that aim, we've gone a step beyond being just your average locally-focused, all-natural, fresh-from-scratch, deliciously inventive caterers. We want to cultivate values, expand childrens' palates, and enhance the nutritional IQs of all of our stakeholders (children, parents, caregivers, and their communities).
To complement our unique approach to catering, we've developed a full range of fun and interactive nutrition education workshops, designed exclusively for the childcare set. Word spread quickly, so we've expanded to include nutrition education workshops for busy parents and precocious school-aged kids, too. Some call us educaterers, others call us back for second and third helpings of hands on, entertaining real food education fun. And on those happy, healthy foundations, we hope that these kids will build the life long habits of healthy eating and sustainable living.
RFRK is hiring! Check out our postings on GoodWork Canada
