First came celebrity chefs, now comes the celebrity supplier. With trace­ability becoming ever more important to foodies, farmers are being flung into the spotlight on menus everywhere…

Traceability is hot stuff. We’re talking food that can be traced right back to the source—and preferably food that has a limited negative impact on the communities and ecosystems that they are sourced from. Why now? Because we want to know where our food comes from, and the impact that business has on its workers.

You only have to look at the rise in farmers’ markets. In the US, farmers markets have more than tripled in the past 15 years—there are now more than 7,175 around the country. And today there are over 4,000 community-supported agriculture operations in the US—up from just two in 1986, not to mention farm to school programmes in 48 states. Indeed the National Restaurant Association declared that “locally sourced meats and seafood” and “locally grown produce” as the two top trends for 2011.

The US Government has dutifully responded with the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (KYF2) initiative to strengthen local and regional food systems. This includes fostering new oppor­tunities for farmers and ranchers, and expanding access to affordable fresh and local food.

The hospitality industry is doing its bit, too. Many have already forged strong links with local suppliers, and an increasing number are even growing their own—restoring tradi­tional potagers, grubbing up the garden to establish new kitchen gardens, even maximising rooftop space in an effort to bring food to the table with the minimum mileage and the maximum freshness. These days if you ask a waiter where the chef’s beef has come from, they’ll invariably tell you—that’s if the supplier is not already credited on the menu.

Reuben Riffel has been crediting suppliers on his menus for a while now. Riffel, the executive chef of One&Only Cape Town’s restaurant Reuben’s, is one of South Africa’s most respected chefs, rising to fame with his first restaurant in the historic wine town of Franschhoek in 2004. He has since won a mantelpiece-full of awards, including Eat Out magazine’s coveted Chef of the Year.

Dishes at Reuben’s One&Only Cape Town include his popular chilli-salted squid with mint, sprout, sweet chilli and cream lime mayonnaise, and New York sirloin, served with a mixed pepper cream, fries and balsamic-glazed vegetables. “I get my beef from Chalmar, and lamb from Namaqualand—they are the best quality around,” reveals Riffel, who sources 99% of his menu locally.

“It’s very important for me to know where my produce comes from, and I know my customers appreciate this information, too. And it’s good for the producers. I believe it can only positively increase the experience of your meal when you have this information,” declares Riffel, who also likes to visit the various farms and producers he uses. “People are now, more than ever, wise to food and its origin. They want to know what they are putting in their mouths.” Indeed, so passionate is Riffel, that he has even written Reuben Cooks Local, a book on cooking with local ingredients.

Vikash Coonjan agrees. He is the executive chef of One&Only Le Saint Géran’s newest restaurant, Prime, in Mauritius. “Customers are so much more food aware these days,” he says. “Traceability is very important to us here. It’s one of our core values and we only work with the best produce, supplied by reputable producers—many of which are local. In fact, all our seasonal fruits, vegetables, chicken, fish and seafood are sourced locally. We love supporting local trade.”

A local fisherman, Victor, visits Coonjan’s kitchen daily to supply oysters, sea urchins and fish from the lagoon, while his organic pork rib is from a lady called Mrs Rambert, which he serves with a green papaya salad, smoked bacon and an apricot and cherry mostarda.

The famous Mauritian palm hearts, from local supplier Gerard Rohan, are used by Coonjan in his popular Salad du Millionaire. Even the mozzarella is local—from Angelo Mapp, an Italian producer on Mauritius, who also supplies Coonjan’s kitchen with organic green lemons and wild rocket. “It’s good for suppliers to be credited on menus. Food is our passion and locally sourced ingredients are what makes our dishes so delicious,” says Coonjan.

“Traceability is very important to us. It is one of our core values and we only work with the best produce from reputable producers”