Author: Desroches, Rebecca

Dining Services Earns Distinguished National Nutrition Award

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The National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) announced UConn Dining Services as the recipient of a distinguished NACUFS Nutrition Award. Dining Services received gold in the category of Best Local Foods Recipe. The NACUFS Nutrition Awards recognize the outstanding nutrition and wellness programs implemented within collegiate foodservice programs to meet the needs of a dynamic student population.

The winning recipe, Chicken Sausage, Butternut Squash and Kale Hand Pies with Lemon Ricotta, is served at Whitney Dining Hall. Whitney is one of eight dining halls on the Storrs campus and features local, vegetarian, and vegan items. The farm-to-table initiative offers sustainable and local food items from a variety of local farmers and food producers including UConn’s Spring Valley Student Farm. UConn Dining is the largest consumer of locally grown produce in Connecticut.

“We are proud to have an administration at UConn that supports our involvement in NACUFS, and a team within Dining Services that believes in supporting local farming which strengthens our local community and economy” says Robert Landolphi, Assistant Director of Culinary Development for UConn Dining Services. “Most importantly we have a student body that dines with us daily and are willing to share with us what is important to them as they assist us in expanding our local and regional purchases.”

NACUFS member institutions across North America submitted entries in two categories — Most Innovative Wellness & Nutrition Program and Best Local Foods Recipe.

UConn Dining has received 21 awards from NACUFS in the last 15 years for recipes, dining hall renovations, gluten free options, culinary challenges, catering, and sustainability initiatives.

Want to try the hand pie recipe at home? Find a printable recipe and demo at dining.uconn.edu/recipes.

The National Association of College & University Food Services was founded in 1958 by a group of college and university foodservice professionals from across the United States. Since its inception, NACUFS has focused on its mission to support and promote excellence in collegiate dining by providing members with the programs and resources they need to excel, from benchmarking and best practices to educational programming and professional networking.

NACUFS institutional members range from private colleges to large public universities, including two-year and four-year institutions, spanning the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and beyond. Industry members include food and equipment manufacturers, distributors, brokers, foodservice support companies, councils, boards, trade associations, advisory commissions and other professional groups. For more information, visit NACUFS.org.

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UConn Dining Halls Receive Certifications & Awards for Sustainability

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All eight of our dining halls have recently achieved the highest level of certification from the Green Restaurant Association (GRA). UConn is the only campus in the United States to have every dining hall become four-star certified.

To achieve certification, UConn Dining had to meet several GRA requirements, including the implementation of sustainable practices in the following areas:

  • Energy Use
  • Water Efficiency
  • Waste Reduction
  • Reusables & Disposables
  • Chemical and Pollution Reduction
  • Food
  • Buildings & Furnishings
  • Education & Transparency

The GRA is a nonprofit organization that works to create an environmentally sustainable restaurant industry by helping restaurants become more environmentally responsible. Their standards reflect over 30 years of research in the field of restaurants and the environment.

The purpose of the GRA standards is to provide a transparent way to measure each restaurant’s environmental accomplishments, while providing a pathway for the next steps they can take to increase their environmental sustainability. Restaurants can earn GreenPoints™ in any of the eight categories below.  To become a Certified Green Restaurant®, enough GreenPoints™ must be earned across the categories.

UConn Dining has implemented several sustainable practices over the years, including trayless dining to reduce food waste and water usage, measuring pre-consumer waste, sending waste to be transformed into biogas and compost, and recycling cooking oil. Dining is also the largest procurer of local produce in Connecticut.

Below are just some of the practices that have been implemented in each category to achieve a four-star rating:

  • Energy Use – All dining rooms now have LED lighting, purchase Energy Star equipment as replacements and have installed strip curtains in all refrigeration and freezers to reduce energy loss.
  • Water Efficiency – Water use is calibrated for the appropriate job including sink aeration, low flow sprayers and dish washers.
  • Waste Reduction – UConn Dining uses china/glass/silver for meal service rather than disposable wares. Bulk packaging is used for over 80% of condiments, salt & pepper, etc.
  • Reusables & Disposables – Disposable products are made with a high content of recyclable materials and are bleach free.
  • Chemical and Pollution Reduction – Green Seal cleaning products are used in all operations. No idling policies are in place for the loading docks and smoking is designated to be at least 25’ away from buildings.
  • Food – UConn Dining serves a high percentage of vegan and vegetarian foods throughout the menu.
  • Buildings & Furnishings – Paints, coatings and building materials in renovations have low VOC, are high in recycled content and the construction debris is recycled.
  • Education & Transparency – The UConn Dining website and every dining hall has information about the Green Restaurant Association and proudly displays the star awards.

In addition, three of UConn’s Dining Halls have recently received awards from the Green Restaurant Association.

  • Putnam Dining Hall – winner of the 2023 Chemical and Pollution Reduction Award for being the Certified Green Restaurant® with the most GreenPoints™ in the Chemicals Category with 60.26 GreenPoints™.
  • Whitney Dining Hall – winner of the 2023 Waste Reduction Award for being the Certified Green Restaurant® with the most GreenPoints™ in the Waste Category with 78.85 GreenPoints™.
  • McMahon Dining – winner of the 2023 Water Conservation Award for being the Certified Green Restaurant® with the most GreenPoints™ in the Water Category with 44.29 GreenPoints™.

UConn Dining has also received recognition for its sustainable practices from other organizations, including the Sustainable Foodservice Leaders Award from the National Association of College and University Food Services and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Food Recovery Challenge Award.

To learn more about more about the GRA points that each dining hall has achieved visit https://dining.uconn.edu/certified-green/

Annual Spring Fling & Zero Waste BBQ to be held April 19th

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The annual Earth Day Spring Fling, co-hosted by the UConn Office of Sustainability and UConn Dining Services, will take place Wednesday, April 19th on Fairfield Way from 11am-2pm. The sustainability festival will include vendors, fun activities, and a Zero Waste BBQ catered by Dining Services.

The Zero Waste BBQ from Dining will feature vegan, vegetarian, and sustainable menu items that have been locally sourced. Lunch will cost one flex pass or $12 credit/debit. The meal cost will include a small ice cream from the UConn Dairy Bar truck that will be on site. UConn Bakery will also be on Fairfield Way, handing out cupcakes decorated with a BBQ theme (while supplies last).

Review the full schedule and make sure to sign up & sign a waiver for outdoor yoga at sustainability.uconn.edu/earth-day-spring-fling

 

Campus Food Pantry to Open Monday, March 20th

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Contact: Kimberly Phillips, Kimberly.DeBaise@uconn.edu

STORRS, Conn. – Propelled by the success of food pantries at each of the regional campuses, Husky Harvest at UConn’s main campus in Storrs will open Monday for thousands of students without a meal plan and without a full cupboard.

While the pantry will be available to anyone with a UConn ID, it is geared to those living off-campus who are not required to have a meal plan and therefore may not have regular access to nutritious food, Michael White, executive director of Dining Services, says. That includes 2,000 undergraduate students who live in places like the Carriage House Town Homes and Celeron Square apartments.

White says the first step to establishing the pantry was finding a location that was central to campus, had patron parking, and offered some level of discreetness. Almost fortuitously, the 600-square-foot former convenience store in the Charter Oak Apartments Community Center popped onto the radar.

With a bus stop not far from the front door and located just off Discovery Drive, the space also was ideal because students who live in the Charter Oak Apartments aren’t required to have meal plans and might very well be among those who would benefit the most.

“We wanted a location that would service not only the undergraduate population, but the graduate students, faculty, staff, essentially anyone with a UConn ID,” White says. “That had a lot to do with how we talked about locations.”

A grand opening of the Storrs location for invited guests and the media will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, March 20, at the pantry in the Charter Oak Apartments Community Center, 916 Tower Court Road, Storrs. Regular hours will be Mondays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Husky Harvest at Storrs will operate in much the same way as the Husky Harvest pantries at the regional campuses that have opened over the last several months. A partnership with Connecticut Foodshare is enabling the venture and providing grocery staples with regular deliveries.

White says he’s borrowing ideas from experiences at the regional campuses, including Avery Point, where staff has made available simple recipes that account for ingredients typically found on the shelves, like stewed tomatoes and beans. In Stamford, Husky Harvest offers personal care items, including shampoo and deodorant, another offering White hopes to have with funding from the Undergraduate Student Government.

“I don’t want to get into the scenario – and I know it happens in life – that someone has to decide between putting food on their plate and taking a shower,” White says. “That’s a very challenging decision for anybody to make. Just being able to take a shower sometimes can really reset your wellbeing.”

Eventually, he says he expects to take donations from the public but plans to operate this semester solely with Connecticut Foodshare support. In time, though, he can see departmental food drives, a kitchen equipment and gadget collection, and leftovers from the cafes all earmarked for pantry patrons.

“This is no longer a topic that people are afraid of,” White says. “We know that the UConn community will go above and beyond.”

Contributions to the UConn Storrs Campus Food Insecurity Fund at the UConn Foundation can be made online. Visit the pantry’s website for more details.

Questions about Husky Harvest can be directed to Kimberly Phillips, Kimberly.DeBaise@uconn.edu.

New Cafe Opens in Science 1 Building

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Located in the new state-of-the-art Science 1 building, nanoByte café offers freshly brewed coffee, specialty coffee drinks, Boba milk tea, homemade pastries, daily soup/mac and cheese, and hot artisan sandwiches. Grab and go items like fresh salads, wraps, and a variety of snacks are also available. Stop by this semester and try some of their delicious offerings.

 

 

 

 

22nd Annual Culinary Olympics Winners

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Dining Services hosted the 22nd Annual Culinary Olympics on Tuesday, January 10th at Putnam Dining Hall. This annual event shows off the skills of UConn Dining chefs in an individual recipe competition in the morning and then in a team-based “Chopped” style competition called "Boiling Point" in the afternoon. The event was free and open to the public. Twenty-one chefs participated in Boiling Point and 11 chefs participated in the recipe contest. Each event had a panel of judges from the food industry. 

Check out all the details, photos, recipes, and winners at https://dining.uconn.edu/culinary-olympics/

North Dining Hall takes home first place at the 22nd Annual Culinary Olympics Boiling Point Competition

North Dining Hall takes home first place at the 22nd Annual Culinary Olympics Boiling Point Competition

22nd Annual Culinary Olympics to take place January 10th

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The Department of Dining Services will hold its annual Culinary Olympics on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. The event will take place at the Putnam Refectory located on the University of Connecticut, Storrs Campus. This annual event shows off the skills of UConn Dining chefs in an individual recipe competition in the morning and then in a team-based “Chopped” style competition in the afternoon. The event is free and open to the public.

The morning event, “Recipe Contest” judging, is scheduled to begin at approximately 10:00am on Tuesday. Recipes are prepared on site by UConn Dining chefs for 12 portions and must fall into one of the following categories:  Appetizer, Entrée, or Dessert. Recipes will then be judged on the following criteria: Creativity of Dish / Cooking Techniques / Use of Ingredients / Taste and Texture.

The afternoon event, “Boiling Point,” is scheduled to begin at approximately 12:00pm. This is our version of the “Chopped” competition that will involve teams of three chefs representing the different dining facilities within the department. Each team will be presented with a mystery box of ingredients, and using miscellaneous items from our pantry, prepare three different tapas (small food or appetizer) on each plate. Teams will have 75 minutes to prepare their dishes for three judges. Teams will then be scored on the following criteria: Creativity of dish / Cooking Techniques / Use of Ingredients / Taste and Textures. Teams are not allowed to bring ingredients or use ingredients that are not supplied by competition. The set up for Boiling Point allows guests to get up close to the teams to watch as they strategize, prep, and get creative with their mystery ingredients.

Location address: Putnam Refectory – Dining Hall-2358 Alumni Dr, Storrs, CT 06269

Parking: Parking is free and available to the public for the duration of the event in nearby D lot. Handicap parking is available right outside of the dining hall. Printable Map | Full UConn Map

Event Contact: Robert Landolphi, Assistant Director Culinary Development-Robert.landolphi@uconn.edu

Schedule:

10:00am-12:00pm: Recipe Contest Judging
10:00am-1:30pm: UConn Bakery Demos and Displays – stop by and sample some new bakery items for the upcoming semester
12:00pm-3:00pm: “Boiling Point” Competition
There will be an award presentation immediately following Boiling Point.

Recipe Contest Judges:

Judge: Chef Will Deason – Willimantic Brewing Company / Main Street Café, Willimantic, CT.

Judge: Chef Carl Stafford – Adjunct Professor of Hospitality Management, Manchester Community College http://www.manchestercc.edu/

Judge: Ruth Hartunian-Alumbaugh – “Ravings and Cravings” 1400AM WILI / 95.3 FM ravingsandcravings@gmail.com

Boiling Point Judges:

Judge: Chef Christopher Prosperi – Chef-Owner, Metro Bis Restaurant. www.MetroBis.com

Judge: Rand Richards Cooper – Independent novelist, longtime food and travel writer, and food critic. https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/users/rand-richards-cooper

Judge: Marc Hussey – Education Consultant Culinary & Hospitality, Connecticut Technical Education and Career System. www.cttech.org

Judge: Alex Dino – Author and Corporate Executive Chef, Nestle Professional, Chef Alex on Linkedin

Follow #UConnDining on Social

Facebook: @UConnDiningServices
Instagram: @UConnDining
Twitter: @UConnDining

Executive Director of Dining Services Appointed

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DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS APPOINTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DINING SERVICES

After conducting a comprehensive national search, the Division of Student Affairs has named Michael White as Executive Director of Dining Services effective November 4, 2022.

White holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from UConn and a Master of Arts in Industrial Organizational Psychology from the University of New Haven.  In his 26th year as a UConn employee, he brings an impressive base of UConn experience to this position, including serving as Interim Senior Associate Director of Dining Services for the past 1.5 years. Prior to that he served as the Associate Director of Dining Services, an Area Manager, General Manager of Retail Operations and Student Program Coordinator. He started out in 1994 as a student worker washing pots at Shippee Dining Hall and progressed through the ranks which allowed him to gain a thorough understanding of the role every level of Dining Services plays in delivering a quality experience to all customers.

In addition to leading various aspects of Dining Services, White also held the UCPEA roles of President from 2015 – 2021 and First Vice President of Collective Bargaining from 2009 – 2015. In these positions he was a SEBAC representative, member of the Health Cost Containment Committee, and the Vendor Advisory Committee. He also sits on myriad UConn committees including Strategic Visioning, Covid-19 Medical Services Workgroup, Vice Provost’s Committee on Food Insecurity, University Senate, and the Access & Accommodations Committee.

Mike lives in Norwich, CT with his wife Jill (also a UConn alum ‘97). He has twin daughters Teagan and Cassidy who attend UConn-Avery Point. Teagan is majoring in Psychology and Cassidy is majoring in Speech and Language Pathology.

The Division of Student Affairs appreciates the work of the search committee chaired by Tracey Roy (Interim Executive Director of Dining Services), administered by Samantha Courtois (Dining Services) and composed of David Clokey (Assistant Vice President, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs), Cheryl Radzvilowicz (Environmental Health & Safety), Padma Srimatkandada (Student Affairs Information Technology), and Isaac Barber (Director, Student Union).

Much thanks is given to Dining Services staff members who stepped up to fill interim roles while the search was being conducted including Tracey Roy as Interim Executive Director, Rob Landolphi as Associate Director of Residential Dining, and White as Interim Senior Associate Director. Also appreciated is the outstanding work of all the Dining Services staff who stepped up during this time of transition under Tracey’s interim leadership and continued to produce high-quality services that Dining is known for. 

Give A Meal on Nov 9 to Support Students First Fund

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Dining Services will be hosting our bi-annual Give-A-Meal on Wednesday, November 9th. All eight residential dining halls will be participating from 4-7:15pm. Over the years this program has supported various on- and off-campus organizations.
How it works: when students with a meal plan come to dinner on the 9th they can donate an extra meal swipe to help out their fellow huskies. All proceeds from this event will go to support the Students First Fund, through the Division of Student Affairs, to assist students experiencing food insecurity.
More details about the Student First Fund can be found at studentaffairs.uconn.edu/students-first-fund/