Serving the community through food is a passion of mine. Breaking bread with each of you brings me so much joy. In addition to serving meals, I am always looking for ways to improve. Each week, there’s a slight change in our restaurant—something new, something better. I don’t always announce these changes, but when I stumbled upon the perfect Brioche bread,  I knew that I had found a keeper.
While I face the unique challenge of not always being able to taste the food myself because of allergies, I rely on my other senses and the valuable opinions of my team and community. The way the food looks and smells, and even how a fork and knife move through it, all play a role in my decision-making. That’s why finding the perfect Brioche bread for our French toast was such a big deal.
Many of you know that our French toast comes from France, where the ingredients are clean and of high quality. When I recently changed food service companies, I discovered they didn’t carry the beloved Brioche that people have traveled miles for, eager to enjoy its delicate crumb, its perfect tooth, and its subtle balance of sweetness. The food service company generously provided several samples, but none measured up to the original. The obvious solution? Call France and see if I could buy directly from them.
Making my first international call was a new experience. I quickly realized that the person on the other end didn’t speak English, which made communication difficult. Determined to find a way, I reached out for help. I called the new food service company to see if anyone in their office spoke French, but I had no luck. I reached out to friends and even put out a plea on Facebook.
Then, I thought outside the box. Using Google Translate, I practiced my pronunciation and made a second call. This time, the woman on the phone connected me to a bilingual representative who helped bridge the language gap. I realized that I could not buy directly from them because I was too small, so I had to rely on a larger food distributor to create a relationship. Through this connection, I got in touch with a local representative in the U.S. and passed along the information to our new food supplier.
You must remember—The Goochland Restaurant is a small, 40-seat diner. Yet, this food service company took a chance on us and built a relationship with the bakery in France. Thanks to perseverance, teamwork, and a little creativity, we were able to keep the high-quality Brioche that makes our French toast so unique.
Today, I had the pleasure of meeting the French bakery’s United States representative! I couldn’t believe she came all the way down from New York and took the time to stop in for a visit. We had such a wonderful time chatting, and it was especially fun to serve her The Goochland Restaurant’s famous French toast. Moments like these remind me why I love what I do. Thank you for being a part of this journey with me!