The Boise food scene is growing, and with that, a need has been created for a hub that offers support to all things food and drink. Founder of the Culinary Collective Network Kris Ott identified that need and decided to fill it. In fall 2018, he launched the network that serves as a resource that brings together the community of local farms, breweries, wineries and restaurants for farm-to-table dining experiences, farmers markets, culinary events and much more.
“After 25 years in food service and as an executive chef, I found that I wanted more time with my family while digging my hands deeper into the food industry here in Boise to help elevate the community,” Kris says. “Local growers and makers alike are supported by the network in many ways. We feature our members with a complete listing of their services or offerings in a web-page format. We also include a blog post for each that highlights what is happening locally to keep the connection between the public and the businesses we are working with. The blog posts feature our members in a way that introduces their goods or services while serving as a valuable resource to the public and other businesses looking to support the local community.”
Following that spirit of supporting local farmers, Kris has another exciting project he recently introduced: Late Harvest Premium, a program where local farmers donate produce to develop and create small-batch products, eliminating late-season waste. The end product is then sold in a variety of sales streams and will benefit charity as well as the farmers and creators who contributed. This project is due to expand this year with several local farms already expressing their desire to participate.
The Culinary Collective Network is much more than a resource just for the industry, though; their website serves as a valuable resource for the public. The events page is updated on a regular basis, and more collaborative efforts are in the planning process. Be sure to bookmark the page at CulinaryCollectiveNetwork.com. As the network grows, so too will the offerings as currently they have upcoming supper clubs, classes or training, job postings and industry news that affects the community.
