New Hampshire Eat Local Month
August marks New Hampshire Eat Local Month, which honors the Granite State’s fantastic farmers, fishers, and other food producers and artisans—not to mention all the chefs, home cooks, and eaters who appreciate their varied bounty. Well, as it turns out, the Wentworth Inn is the perfect place to observe this month-long celebration!
The spirit of Eat Local Month jibes perfectly with our own longtime, year-round commitment to sourcing local and regional ingredients for our restaurant. The Wentworth’s the proud recipient of a “Certified Local” designation from the New Hampshire Farm to Restaurant Connection for this focus, and we’re also enthusiastic members of the New Hampshire Made coalition, which promotes the homegrown goods and services of New Hampshire businesses.
Eating Local at the Wentworth
The head of our kitchen, Chef Brian Gazda, knows the value of using the freshest vegetables, fruits, meat, dairy, and seafood available: You can’t beat the depth and complexity of their flavors, for one thing, and the resulting dishes have that special quality that comes from eating within one’s “foodshed.” Chef Gazda’s a frequent sight at the Jackson Farmers Market and the North Conway Farmers Market in the summertime, crafting his menu based on what’s in season—and what catches his eye.
In winter, too, we continue to rely on local producers for our larder. From North East Family Farms and Hatchland Dairy to the Sandwich Creamery and the Lucky 7 Ranch, we cherish the long-standing relationships we have with our hardworking farmers, ranchers, fishers, and gatherers. Besides all the local veggies, New England meats, and fresh-caught Maine seafood, the Wentworth benefits from the foraging prowess of “Bill the Mushroom Man,” who for better than two decades has provided us with mushrooms plucked from New Hampshire and Vermont forests. (You can see a full list of the local farms we partner with right here.)
In addition, Chef Gazda makes his own pasta, potato gnocchi, and Mozzarella cheese in-house, and they’ve won many a devoted fan. And our gardener, Sheila, puts in long hours maintaining on-site vegetable and herb beds, the local-as-local-gets harvest of which further sets the Wentworth menu apart!
Neighborhood Farmers Markets
Speaking of those nearby markets Chef Gazda takes advantage of, August is also an extra-special time to pay them a visit, given National Farmers Market Week runs through August 13. The Jackson and North Conway farmers markets both fall Saturdays from 9AM to noon through mid-October, so swing by on your next summer or fall stay at the Wentworth Inn!
Here at the Wentworth Inn, we couldn’t be prouder to be showcasing so many local food makers for New Hampshire Eat Local Month—and the rest of the year! And we’re sure you’ll agree after a meal here that Chef Gazda is doing right by those producers in his magical kitchen, fueled with plenty of New England goodness.