High cost of food forces Ottawa chefs to improvise

Some Ottawa foodmakers say they're already making menu changes as the cost of meat and vegetablescontinues to rise, and that they may have to raise their own prices if the trend continues.

• Food prices set to rise in 2016 as weak loonie takes a bigger bite

Three chefsand restaurant ownerswere guests on CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning on Thursday to discuss the high cost of food and its effect on their businesses.

DanielaManrique, chef and co-owner ofSOCAKitchen & Pub, is no longer making any profit from one of her restaurants signature dishes: charredcauliflower steak.

"When we first started [making the dish] ... the price was a dollar a head, and it was a beautiful, big head of cauliflower," Manriquetold host Robyn Bresnahan.

"Now, unfortunately, it is one of our signature dishes so it's very hard to take it off the menu. People come looking for that plate, so you don't want to disappoint your guests. You try to do your best."

If the price of cauliflower rises more, they'll be losing money on each plate.

• Listen to the entire interview here.

'We have to offer very affordable food'

Genevive Corriveau, executive chefat Saint Paul University'sCaf Urban, said it's an especially problematic issue for her business because students need affordable food options.

"We're already very conscious of the price of food since we operate in a university setting. Our customer base [is made up of] students, so we have to offer very affordable food," she said.

The cafuses localmeat and vegetablesand makes everything else from scratch, which helps keep their costs low.

Ron Spirito, owner of Gibson's on Queen, said that last year he spent an extra 4to fivepercent on food, and that the Restaurants Canada association says about 60 per cent of restaurants will be raising prices in the next six months.