Hands up if you’re constantly in search of good produce! I know I am. It’s also becoming clear that sourcing quality ingredients from responsible suppliers is just as important. Not only for the health and well-being of my family but also for the flavour! I’ve been Instagram stalking Sasha’s Fine Foods for years so I’m thrilled to share our interview with her.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am first and foremost a food-loving, fun-loving mum of 3 children who relocated to Singapore from London with my husband and kids in 2008. A lawyer by background, I left that world behind and grabbed the opportunity to focus on raising my young family in Asia, turning my attention to one of my greatest passions – food!
How did you get started with Sasha’s Fine Foods? Where did it all begin?
I was inspired by the vast selection of incredible food and ingredients available in Singapore, but like many new arrivals, I found it very difficult to buy food staples I could trust. Despite the proliferation of supermarkets and butchers, many essentials like quality meat and seafood were of dubious origin. Few if any retailers were clearly labelling where these products came from, if hormones and antibiotics were used in their production, or how the animals and fish were raised.
This lack of transparency, along with increasing reports about food scandals and safety, led me to dig deeper and learn about the provenance of food. Before long, I could see a wonderful opportunity emerging to bring together my passion for cooking and eating with the increasing demand for ‘clean’ food in Singapore.
In 2011, from a modest office in Tiong Bahru, I officially opened for business when I placed my first commercial order for fresh New Zealand lamb. Within weeks, I found myself personally managing a fast-developing business, dashing to make airport collections of stock, packaging fresh products each night and darting around the island in my trusty people carrier packed to the roof with coolers every Friday to make the once-weekly customer deliveries. Food-savvy shoppers in Singapore now had some real choice in terms of quality and in how they bought their weekly supplies of meat, chicken and fish.
Why is food provenance so important to you?
The mass production of so many products in the world has led to a huge compromise on quality. Farmers and suppliers have been squeezed tightly by supermarkets and big corporates so they have had to cut corners and improvise in order to make a living. Sadly this often means adding growth hormones to promote faster animal growth as well as the use of antibiotics which are administered prophylactically to avoid the spread of animal disease (you put hundreds of animals in a small, caged environment and the spread of disease is suddenly a real worry). I really care about what I put in the bodies of my family, as well as myself and my friends, which is why provenance is so important to me.
Why do you go to the effort of meeting each of your produce providers?
By sourcing food this way, I can get much closer to the farmers and their produce. I can see the welfare of their animals, their behaviour and overall appearance. I can also meet the workers, engage with them, and talk to them about life on the farms. I can inspect the animal feed, ask questions to the right people with the right knowledge. Most suppliers know the basics around, for example, animal feed, but it’s often the technical team on the ground that has all the knowledge and information.
I can also build relationships with our suppliers, something that is really important to me. I love to work with people I respect and admire, and I enter into these relationships for the long term. I find it strange that others do not do this, to me, it is the most important part of my job and is the only way I can have complete confidence in what I am selling.
It seems like the world is going Vegetarian or Vegan! While we do believe in the sustainability and health benefits of such a diet, we personally find it hard to go the whole way with a true vegan diet. Tell us about Flexitarianism and what your thoughts on this area?
I recently wrote a blog on this topic: The Green Line and for those that have read my blogs on topical issues, you’ll sense that I’m not an all-or-nothing person. I don’t believe in having a rigid stance on anything and this topic is no different. My personal way of eating is that I am trying to cut down on meat in favour of meat-free alternatives, purely with an eye on the environmental impact of so much meat production. I like to think that in the long run, minor changes to our first world diets can have a profound and positive impact on the planet. Will I continue to eat steaks? Absolutely, but it will be a grass-fed steak that has been carefully sourced from a trusted supplier; in order words, Sasha’s Fine Foods!
What is your favourite part of what you do?
Tasting new products and meeting wonderful farmers who are continuing the traditions of their parents and grandparents. I also love seeing the faces of my kids when they eat the food I have imported, knowing that I am giving the best that nature can provide.
What do you do for fun?
Socialising, walking, being out with my family – and did I mention eating good food?!
Fave place to eat and what do you eat?
Basilico at The Regency Hotel for their delicious array of Italian produce and Burnt Ends for absolutely everything!
Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer a few questions, Sasha!
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Images have been provided by Sasha’s Fine Foods and Instagram @sashasfinefoods.