Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Lash.
Hi Sam, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My father and I started Farm to Table in July of 2008. For the first year, we were the only two employees. We purchased 1 pallet of homegrown tomatoes and 1 pallet of Fredericksburg peaches. We sold every case to restaurants in Austin and never looked back. That was 18 years ago. Our first warehouse was an abandoned gas station on east 7th st. We used the beer coolers as our walk ins. We now have a 20,000 sq foot warehouse with 4 unique temperature walk-ins, 5 loading docks, and a fleet of 12 refrigerated trucks. We’re headquarted in Austin and started out distributing in just Austin but have since expanded to service Dallas Fort Worth, the Houston metro area, San Antonio, and the Hill Country corridor. Our business has grown alongside the ever improving culinary scene that has blossomed in Texas. We used to be just Tex-Mex and BBQ. Now we’re Michelin stars and world class chef driven restaurants. We’re proud to have been along for the ride and to have contributed in the way we continue to do today.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t believe any business that’s been around for almost 20 years experiences only smooth roads. Our first year in business was the same year of the 2008 sub prime mortgage recession. Then of course there was covid in March of 2020. We’ve been in business during droughts, floods, snow and ice storms, power outages, the list goes on. It sounds cliche but it really is what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I remembering telling myself that if we made it through covid, we can make it through anything. Anytime challenges come up I remind myself, it’s not as bad as covid and you got through that so everything will be alright.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Farm to Table is a food service distributor that sources food from Texas farmers, ranchers, and food artisans. We offer seasonal produce, dairy, cheeses, eggs, flour & whole grains, beef, pasture poultry, heritage pork, hill country grass fed lamb. We like to say that we are the one stop shop for all things local. Our customer base is primarily restaurants, we also service corporate catering programs, school districts, coffee shops, independent grocery stores, & more. We’re very proud of our role in the culinary culture of Texas. Chefs look to us to help understand the complex seasonality of Texas to help plan their menus and dishes. We’ve been sourcing from Texas farmers for 18 years so our data is very informed and comprehensive.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I grew up just outside Austin on Lake Travis. We were lake rats. Life pretty much was all about being in water and having fun on the lake. We were always looking for a cliff to jump off of, or a boat to hitch a ride on. At the same time I was very fortunate to grow up in household where food and sharing meals as a family were extremely important. And that made an impact on me. Food was something I started caring about at a very young age. I knew what I liked and I was being exposed to really good stuff. I was the kid in school that had a sandwich on Texas French Bread sourdough with pesto mayonnaise and Sausalito turkey while other kids were eating peanut butter and jelly. Needless to say my interest in food started early. I can’t say at that point I was thinking about food as a profession. I suppose in an unconscious way the foundation for Farm to Table was already being built.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.farmtotabletx.com
- Instagram: @farmtotabletx
