Buzzword 3: "Ingredient Transparency" - Please Meet Trevor the Trout

Published 16.06.2025

Ingredient transparency is having a moment.

Which is great—until it turns into ingredient oversharing.

Yes, I’d like to know my chicken was humanely raised.

No, I don’t need its Spotify playlist and star sign.

Let’s keep it helpful—not hysterical.

Done right, ingredient transparency builds trust.

And trust? That’s the real loyalty program.

Look at Oyster Oyster in D.C.—quietly sourcing with intention and purpose.

Mt. Joy in Seattle? Serving regenerative fried chicken that actually walks the walk.

Even Chipotle, burrito jokes aside, they’ve been shaking that maraca for years..

The difference?…They bake it into the guest experience.

The line between transparency and performative guilt-tripping?

So here’s the rule of thumb: If your trout needs a personal bio and a headshot, you’ve gone too far. Transparency isn’t a marketing stunt. It’s just good hospitality.

Because if you have to shout about it, maybe you’re not doing it for the right reasons.

The goal?

Honest food. Thoughtful sourcing. Less drama.

Leave the storytelling to the menu— not the marketing team who insists we “elevate the narrative around root vegetables.”