BON APPÉTIT CHEF TALKS TRASH WITH MIT STUDENTS
Chef/Manager Brian McCarthy shows MIT students what happens after trays are returned…
WHO KNEW FIGHTING FOOD WASTE could be so fascinating? A group of Massachusetts Institute of Technology students was riveted by Bon Appétit Chef/Manager Brian McCarthy’s behindthe-scenes tour of how he’s reducing food waste in the kitchen and café at Simmons Dining Hall in Cambridge, MA. Of course, they were a very special group: Fellow Samuel Martin was joined by student leaders from MIT’s food magazine Chop Stir Hack and the Waste Watchers (who won a Bon Appétit Student Activist Grant, see page 64). Brian kicked the tour off at the tray return, showing the students how postconsumer plate waste is collected. Then they headed into the main kitchen, where he explained the difference between pre- and postconsumer food waste, and how each is handled. He showed them where the waste is logged using On Track, Bon Appétit’s in-house-developed waste tracking system. The students were so excited about On Track that he invited them into his office to further show off the system’s ease of use and reporting features. After a quick look at the loading dock recycling area and a peek into the walk-ins and freezers filled with local ingredients, the group
… and then how On Track, Bon Appétit’s waste-tracking software, works
gathered at a table in the dining hall for a sustainability roundtable. Sam and Brian talked about Bon Appétit’s Low Carbon Lifestyle targets, the Farm to Fork program, and more. It was a lively and engaging discussion, and the students seemed impressed with the breadth and depth of Bon Appétit’s commitment to sustainability. Submitted by Samuel Martin, Fellow
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