About our use of organic products

Organic ingredients are good for the soil and for nature. Being 100% organic would be wonderful, but in reality is impossible without severely restricting choice or charging you significantly more. We buy organic as much as we can but there are various instances where it is unworkable:

PROHIBITIVE PRICE
Organic ingredients are frequently double or triple the price and most customers are unwilling to pay such a high price for their food.

ORGANIC NOT AVAILABLE
There is a fairly random collection of ingredients where we cannot find organic versions: Star anise, Aleppo pepper flakes, sweet paprika, sugar and sweetener sachets (but we can supply you with organic sugar from the kitchen – just ask), filo pastry, gluten-free flour, barista-standard coconut milk and sometimes also almond milk.

IMPRACTICAL
• Pastries (we’d rather leave their production to the experts but have not yet found any decent organic ones)
• Some smoothies (as indicated on the list)

QUALITY
We tend to have more quality issues with organic ingredients – not something that most customers accept. 

OUT OF STOCK
Sometimes the organic version is out of stock from our suppliers, or we have to dash out to local shops and organic isn’t always available.

SUPPORTING SMALL BRITISH SUPPLIERS
Sometimes organic supplies are only available from abroad when a non-organic product is available more locally with fewer food miles. We may use the local equivalent if we feel that on balance it is the most sustainable thing to do. We also support some small local cake makers who are semi-organic.

What do you think about organic food? Do let us know!