Inside the Kitchen: Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ’s Food Hub

A series of stories going behind the scenes of Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ’s dining experience

By Juan Siliezar
chef on the grill
Mark Brodeur works the stir-fry grill in Upper Commons.

BRISTOL, R.I. – Dining has become one of the many defining Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ experiences students and the rest of the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ community enjoy when they chose Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ. For good reason, too: Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ’s meal plan is ranked in the top 5 percent in the country according to student satisfaction surveys, topped USA Today College’s list for best college food in Rhode Island in 2016, and this year it was named as the best college dining program in Rhode Island by the monthly publication FoodService Director.

And while the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ community is largely familiar with the deliciously satisfying front-end experience of dining at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ, many aren’t familiar with the behind-the-line work that goes into preparing and serving more than 5,000 meals a day or with the efforts to reduce waste.

That changes now with an in-depth series of stories looking at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ’s dining experience. The stories range from a behind-the-line look at the work that goes into feeding the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ community to interesting facts about dining at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ and the University’s efforts in sustainability and combating food waste.

These stories show some, but not all, of what makes food service at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ so special. You’ve already tasted Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ’s top-notch food program. Now see how it comes together:

Chef adding parsely

Behind the Service Line
The central hub for the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ dining experience is the Upper Commons. Take a look at that experience from other side of the service line and the people who make it happen.

students part of FRN

Food Recovery Network at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ
It may look like this small group of students is heading in for an after-hours meal, but they are actually part of a student led effort to combat food waste and food insecurity.


Food at service lineComposting at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ
Food waste is a part of any food service. It’s why Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ and Bon Appétit Management Company work to curtail that waste. So far, Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ has diverted over 230 tons of food waste from the landfill in the last three years.
 

Facts-inline.jpgInteresting Facts on Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ's Food
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ dining serves on average 1,700 students a day. That makes for some interesting facts ranging from the average amount of pizzas made a day to how many pounds of hamburgers are cooked.

Source-inline.jpgSourced Locally: Where Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ's Food Comes From
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ and Bon Appétit Management Company are committed to using the best ingredients and sourcing food locally when possible. Here are 10 local places where Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±×ÊÁÏ sources its food.