A SUPPORTIVE APPROACH
TO MEETING DIETARY NEEDS
A SUPPORTIVE APPROACH...
TO MEETING DIETARY NEEDS Our chefs are committed to providing guests with an abundant variety of plant-forward, vegetarian, vegan, and made without gluten-containing ingredient dishes each and every day. Our teams are trained in food allergen awareness using resources certified by FARE, the world’s leading food allergy advocacy organization. All Bon Appétit managers receive annual training, and hold workshops and daily pre-service meetings with our staff to ensure that the safety of students, faculty, and staff is top of mind. Descriptive nomenclature identifies major allergens and gluten in menu naming and descriptions and all ingredient-related questions should be directed to our chefs or managers to ensure your safety. Additionally, our Regional Nutrition and Wellness Manager, Leslie Mathiasmeier, MS, RDN, is always available to work individually with students. Leslie takes a hands-on approach to supporting Oles, helping you identify food options that meet your needs. She can be reached at Leslie.Mathiasmeier@cafebonappetit.com. Learn more about our approach to wellness, how we cook, our kitchen principles, and more on nutrition here: https://www.bamco.com/cooking/
INTRODUCING
SIMPLYOASIS Our SimplyOASIS station provides safe meals for most individuals with food allergies and intolerances in a fast and efficient way. This streamlined station features meals prepared without the Top 9 allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, milk, eggs, soy, wheat, sesame), and gluten, making SimplyOASIS accessible to people with a wide variety of dietary needs. Without dairy or egg, SimplyOASIS can also accommodate vegans when animal protein is an optional add-on. SimplyOASIS uses only “single-ingredient ingredients” to eliminate the need to screen package labels. Our chefs have the freedom to design enticing menus utilizing recipes comprised of simple foods that do not contain these allergens.
VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN OPTIONS
It has long been Bon Appétit’s policy to offer abundant vegan, vegetarian, and plant-forward options as entrees and sides at all of our all-you-careto-eat stations. If vegan and vegetarian students have concerns about their food options, we encourage them to reach out to the onsite manager, or simply speak to one of our chefs. We’re always happy to take menu requests and appreciate student suggestions.
MEETING RELIGIOUS DIETARY NEEDS HALAL INTRODUCTION TO HALAL When coming into a new account Bon Appetit will partner with the school’s Muslim Association to understand the needs and variety the students are interested in. We will work to source certified halal proteins from local providers and collaborate with the leadership of the university on a dedicated space for cooking Halal if it is not already available.
HALAL DINING EXAMPLES At Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY, the Bon Appétit team partners with the school’s Muslim Students Association and religious staff to ensure that observant students have access to a wide variety of Halal options. The team exclusively serves Halal chicken on campus to better serve Muslim students. Better yet, the chicken is sourced from one of Bon Appétit’s Farm to Fork vendors, Murray’s Chicken. Halal beef, sourced from an aggregator of pasture-raised beef and Farm to Fork vendor, Happy Valley Meat, is also available throughout the week. The team works closely with the Muslim Students Association to provide meals during Ramadan. Planning meetings begin many months in advance, with students requesting particular dishes for Iftar and Suhoor. In addition to providing food for both meals each day during Ramadan, the Bon Appétit team also stocks the fridge of the Muslim Student Association house, providing additional items that are requested. At the University of Pennsylvania, Muslim students that keep Halal often dine at King’s Court English House (KCEH), a dedicated café for Halal foods, where the kitchen is free of both pork and alcohol. All animal proteins served are Certified Halal. In addition to offering all-you-care-to-eat dining options, KCEH also prepares packaged Halal sandwiches and salads for students on the go, which are offered in the café and distributed across campus. The Bon Appétit team at Penn has a collaborative relationship with Muslim student groups on campus and provides drop-off and dine-in meals for students during Ramadan.
KOSHER KOSHER GOVERNANCE Bon Appétit often employs the same officials a school already uses for kosher supervision. If that’s not possible, we’ll work with you to determine a new option. Bon Appétit has implemented similar programs elsewhere using different approaches based on what our clients need. For instance, at University of Pennsylvania there is a dedicated kosher dining hall with meat, parve, and dairy kitchens and an on-site Mashgiach. At Massachusetts Institute of Technology the Mashgiach are hired and trained by the Kashruth Commission of the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts, d/b/a Vaad Harabonim of Massachusetts, a/Ida Rabbinical Council of Massachusetts. The Mashgiach can be hired by the Vaad directly or referred by the MIT Hillel program and trained and approved by the Vaad. The Mashgiach are the only ones allowed to unsecure the kitchen or servery, inspect the food, and turn on the equipment. It is the Mashgiach’s responsibility to maintain kashrut at the facility.
KOSHER DINING EXAMPLES Bon Appétit operates kosher kitchens for several of our college and university clients. In each case, we’ve collaborated with the client and campus Jewish organizations to determine the appropriate offerings for the campus and select the correct oversight. Examples of how we’ve done this follow. The most comprehensive kosher program is the one we provide at University of Pennsylvania, which has a dedicated kosher dining hall with meat, parve, and dairy kitchens and an on-site Mashgiach. Breakfast, lunch and dinner is served daily. At Penn, Falk Dining Cafe is the kosher café, which is located on the first floor of the Hillel building. All food is prepared Glatt kosher and under the supervision of the Community Kashrus of Greater Philadelphia. The dining team welcomes Penn students as well as members of the surrounding community to enjoy the amazing cuisine and sense of community in the café. For the past 10 years Bon Appétit has supported The Soup Kitchen at Hillel which convenes every Sunday evening in Hillel’s Falk Dining Commons. The Soup Kitchen is a space for community guests and Penn volunteers to get to know each other over a warm meal and friendly environment. Each Sunday, dedicated volunteers arrive before dinner to set up the dining hall and make packaged lunches for our guests that they can eat the next day At Massachusetts Institute of Technology, food is prepared in an on-site kosher kitchen and transported and served under the supervision of a trained Mashgiach in a secured kosher servery. Lunch and dinner is available Monday through Thursday, with brunch and dinner on Sundays and lunch on Fridays. Shabbat dinner is served on Friday night catering style in the dining room and Saturday lunch is served buffet style. Kosher tastings happen at the start of the year and students are encouraged to bring their favorite recipes from home to be prepared. All High Holiday meals are served catering style in location decided on by Hillel. At Wesleyan University we provide “kosher style” dining. A portion of the kitchen has been koshered and is designated only for kosher cooking. The food is delivered to the main servery. All students are allowed to enjoy the kosher offerings. All high holiday meals served catering-style at location determined by the Rabbi.