An update on the #SaucyChallenge campaign!

Hi Guys! 

In this week’s thought of the week I wanted to give you a quick update on the #SaucyChallenge, number 4 & 6 are my favourite updates!!

1. Keep your photos coming: So many people have sent us photos of their local pubs, restaurants and cafes that are not using individually wrapped sauces. I am humbled by the public’s reaction to this campaign and all I can say is a massive THANK YOU to all of you for supporting it. Keep those pictures coming!! As I want this campaign to be based in positivity, I will never name and shame a business that uses individually wrapped sauces or condiments, instead, I will champion those that have already made a change or that are whiling to make the change required to abolish them.

2. Keep talking to your local business: I have receive 3 phone calls so far, from business owners that heard about the campaign through their own customers so again WOW, a massive thank you to all of you that are highlighting the issue with your local food service providers, the more we talk about this, the quicker we will get the required result.

3. I have sent a letter to Minister Bruton, pleading to include individually wrapped sauces into the single use plastic ban due to come in 2021. While I am not sure I will succeed on this one at least he can’t say he did not know about it!

4. A huge announcement now: Doolin Tourism, which is a network of Hospitality businesses in Doolin, Co.Clare, have got in touch with me and I am delighted to say they are the first Tourism Network in Ireland, and the world! To support the campaign, over the next couple of months their board and I, will work on completely abolishing these items from Doolin. What a treat!!!! If you belong to a Tourism network, or if you know anyone that does, I urge you to please get in touch, so we can replicate this in other destinations and counties across Ireland.

5. Media: I am doing everything I can to get the media support in this campaign, so far, we have been mentioned at the Clare Echo, The Irish Times Weekend magazine (thank you Machan Magan), and I also had radio interviews with NearFm and ClareFM. My goal for the coming month is to get National Radio coverage of the campaign, if any of you producers are seeing this please call me, I need your help!

6. Make your Own! And now a little bit of training. One of the things I personally notice as a customer when I am eating out and about is if the restaurant make their own sauces or they are bottled ones. I truly admire when a food provider takes the time to make their own sauces, they are normally healthier and taste much better! While I totally understand that not everyone can do this due to footfall at their business, I do wish to encourage business owners and chefs to start. Making your own sauces can become a talking point for your customers, and it can eventually become one of your business USP (unique selling points). I know for a fact, that I return to businesses that make their own sauces, and not so much to those that offer generic individually wrapped ones. So to get you started here is how I make my own mayonnaise, it literally takes 5 minutes! This recipe is for a small jar, so increase ingredients based on your needs.
   • Crack one egg into a mixing bowl, I am lucky that I have my own free range, grass fed hens, these eggs are more nutritional than shop bought eggs, they have less cholesterol and they are cruelty free.
   • Cover the egg entirely with Vegetable oil; I do not use Olive Oil for this as it has a strong taste, regular vegetable oil is much better.
   • Add a pinch of salt, literally a pinch, it is better to fall short and add more later.
   • As I love garlic Mayo I also add a full clove of garlic to my mixing bowl, but you can add different flavour that you might love like paprika, lemon, herbs, etc
   • Using my hand mixer at a slow setting, place the mixer into the bottom of the bowl and turn it on. You will see the egg starting to mix with the oil. Start a slow setting, if you start too fast the sauce might split and you will have to start again. So start slow, with the mixer firmly pushed towards the bottom of the bowl, once you see the egg and oil nicely mixed you can start moving the mixer up and down and make it go faster.
   • Add a dribble of red wine vinegar, again it is better to fall short than to put too much vinegar, so start slow, add only a dribble, taste, and if needed add more.
   • Keep adding vegetable oil into the bowl while using the mixer.
   • Mix for about 3 minutes and you should have a delicious sauce!!!! Keep tasting and adding whatever you think it needs, weather is more vinegar or vegetable oil. I personally like a softer Mayo with little vinegar, but you can get your own balance correctly if you keep tasting, adding and mixing!

So that is it for this week guys, I hope you have found this useful, THANK YOU again so much for supporting the #SaucyChallenge. For those business owners following my blog, please consider reading this Food Waste Reduction checklist that is available on my website

https://www.fiftyshadesgreener.ie/pl/92580

Until Next Week! Sign up to my weekly thought of the week HERE

Raquel