An Exploratory Examination of Sustainable Food Purchasing by Restaurants in Paris, France, by Product Category

Abstract

While executive chefs invariably search for consistent quality, reliable delivery and a competitive price, few studies have sought to demonstrate how the importance of the supplier selection criteria differs by product category for sustainable food ingredients. For this study, 49 executive chefs in Paris, France, were interviewed using a structured questionnaire to explore the importance of the criteria chefs employed in purchasing five groups of food products: meat, fish, fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy products and baked products. Cluster analysis revealed the presence of two distinctly different groups of chefs: those who were primarily concerned about price and those who sought to purchase sustainably produced food ingredients. For those chefs purchasing primarily on price, there were no significant differences in the importance of the criteria utilized in the supplier selection process across the five product categories. However, for those chefs who sought to buy sustainably produced food ingredients, sourcing product from a desired geographic region was significantly less important for baked products. Similarly, in considering whether the food ingredients had been produced ethically and grown locally and sustainably, each of these criteria were ranked significantly lower for baked products than any other food category. Conversely, the availability of products all year round, proximity to the restaurant and the physical appearance of the product were all ranked significantly higher for baked products than any other food category.