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Aramark's response
BY DAVID DAVIDSON
Aramark began serving Yale University in the fall of 1998. The menus have been a "work in progress" and have been rewritten each semester. The goals in rewriting the menus have been multifaceted: 1) to add new and different items; 2) to incorporate student suggestions; 3) to achieve budget objectives; 4) to involve the cooks to balance the work load. In addition, the menus are reviewed at the Food Advisory Committee meetings where student representatives meet with us approximately five times each academic year. The menu variety has been little affected, although one could make the case that the variety has actually increased due to the addition of Pan Geos, "Eli Classics" in Common s, and the redesign of kitchens in Berkeley and Branford.Quality is certainly a consideration. We buy only Grade A fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, USDA Choice meats, Grade A poultry, and a multitude of recognizable name brand products.We make sure that food is prepared as close to actual service as possible, in small batches. This ensures a better quality product and minimizes left overs. Additionally, we have begun to decrease portion sizes so as to reduce the amount of food waste. All our residential dining halls have an unlimited seconds policy, so some students can take less while others can take more if they so desire.
We are concerned about our cooks being unhappy with the menus. We have included them in our menu planning in the past and will continue to include them in the future. Our executive chef meets with them on a formal basis for purposes of training and soliciting feedback. At these meetings, menus, product specifications, and recipes are discussed. We encourage our cooks and all our employees to bring forth any ideas that may improve the dining service.
The greatest influence on our plans will be student acceptance. Our mission is to provide the best food and best service that we can within a reasonable financial structure. This can be best achieved by dining services working as a team to provide the best possible dining program at Yale. We are committed to this goal.
—David Davidson, YDS director, and Robert Junghandel, director of operations
All materials © 2001 The Yale Herald, Inc., and its staff.
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