Sourcing local ingredients among area farmers and producers is very important to me. Even as a young child, I spent my time shopping at the farmer’s market with my grandmother and fishing and lobstering with my family near the New Jersey shore.
Looking back, placing a priority on using fresh local sustainable ingredients has been a common theme. Throughout my culinary career, my philosophy hasn’t changed and in my kitchens at Four Seasons Hotel New York, depending on the seasons, I try to make sure that most of my ingredients come from a 100-mile radius of New York City.
When researching for a new coffee product at Four Seasons Hotel New York, I wanted to find a local partner who engaged in the same core values.
It was very apparent that La Colombe in Philadelphia fit into my 100-mile radius rule, was devoted to using the highest quality coffee beans and most of all, the co-founders, Todd Carmichael and Jean Phillippe Iberti placed a high priority in championing social causes like the Haitian Coffee Academy along with the Clinton Foundation and Leslois Shaw Foundation.
I enjoy projects like this because not only is the hotel aiding Haitian farmers; we are offering an excellent tasting, sustainable, fair trade product to our high expectation guests.
This single origin coffee is an heirloom typical variety grown semi-wild in the mountains surrounding Thiotte in South-East Haiti.
It will be available in all of Four Seasons Hotel New York’s restaurants, room service and at special events. It is a rare occasion that entities like Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts can affect volume like we can — we serve approximately one hundred pounds of coffee during the week and this is only at my hotel.
John Johnson, Executive Chef, Four Seasons Hotel New York
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