Celebrating
110
years of dining at sms The SMS motto has remained the same since its inception, Service with Love—but one thing that has truly transformed over time is on-campus dining. And while the food has always been served with love, the students haven’t always loved what was being served. That has all changed.
be unfamiliar to them. Past topics have included international and historical cuisine, unusual or uncommon foods, etiquette and manners, seasonal produce, methods of preparation and preservation, and much more. “Through conversations and the shared experience of eating together, we hope to build connections between boarders and day students. Food also plays a huge part of the identity of every culture and can be used to celebrate our diversity and strengthen the SMS community,” said Cathy Thornicroft.
SMS is thrilled to have Chef Hudson share his talent with the community. Not only a talented chef, he is equally as passionate about sourcing fresh local ingredients and creating relationships with local farmers.
The dining experience at SMS has changed significantly over the years extending beyond the dining hall to feeding hundreds of students and staff daily – in fact, an average of 400 meals are prepped and served each day. In 2017, SMS partnered with SAGE Dining Services and with a new service provider came Top Chef, Daniel Hudson, literally. Chef Hudson appeared on Season 3 of Top Chef Canada, was the winner of Chopped Canada, and appeared as a guest chef on Food Network’s Chuck and Danny’s Road Trip. (Hudson starred on Season 3 of Top Chef Canada with Danny Francis.) Hudson’s career began 16 years ago in the UK where he worked in one of the finest kitchens, Eastwell Manor. He gained hands-on experience from Michelin star chefs over the years. His motto in the kitchen is, “I do what I know and what I know, I do well.” He moved to Vancouver Island in 2005 and opened his award-winning restaurant Hudson’s on First in Duncan in 2012, and in 2014 he won a Vancouver Magazine Best Restaurant award.
The SAGE Spotlight Program
“It’s important to me to use local ingredients as much as possible because not only does the food taste better, but it’s healthier, good for the economy, and it’s important to forge those community relationships,” said Hudson.
All foods deserve a place in a healthy diet. There΄s room on your plate for a little bit of everything – as long as you adhere to the principles of variety, balance, and moderation.
In fact, just recently, he created a gourmet menu for the 110 Anniversary Spring Reunion using ingredients sourced from within a 110-km radius of St. Margaret’s School. Today, when you step into Alexis Hall, you’re immediately surrounded by an abundance of freshly prepared, mouth-wateringly delicious foods, and welcoming, attentive service. The dining staff works extremely hard to prepare food that is not only healthy but something the girls look forward to each day.
Choosing the right combination of foods can be confusing – especially when you have a wide array of dishes to pick from. The Spotlight Program is here to show you how to make informed, healthy choices.
Some of the menu items have even been adapted by our own kitchen staff, like Lead Cook Raj Baidwan’s traditional curry recipe. Baidwan has been a member of the SMS team for over 40 years. With the help of the SAGE program, students develop a positive relationship with food and make informed choices. Registered dietitians provide guidance and oversight to ensure that every meal meets SAGE standards.
SAGE’s registered dietitians make sure that every dish meets our high standards. They assign colour-coded dots based on the dish’s nutritional value and its fat, salt, and added sugar content. These dots signal whether you should eat lots of a certain food, or enjoy it only in moderation.
SMS uses the SAGE Spotlight Program to create menus with variety, balance, and moderation. Every dish is assigned a colour-coded dot indicating its nutritional value, including fat, salt, and added sugar content. The dot system signals whether one should eat lots of a certain food, or enjoy it only in moderation. Once a month, the team transforms the dining hall into an interactive dining experience. Using creative displays, informational guides, and tasting stations to bring each new topic to life, guests have the chance to see, touch, taste, and learn about exciting new foods. The displays introduce students to foods that might SMS Spirit | 12
SAGE, founded in 1990, is the leading food service provider for independent schools and colleges throughout North America. SAGE currently serves 21 all-girls schools and colleges focusing on safety, quality service, community, nutrition, education, sustainability, and delicious food made from scratch using seasonal, locallysourced ingredient.
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