Bon Appétit Management Company

Lewis & Clark College Sous Chef and Farm to Fork champion Ethan Davidsohn talks about his passion for cooking and sourcing sustainably.

Bon Appétiters love what they do — and so opening the kitchen doors for behind-the-scenes tours is one of their favorite activities. On a weekday afternoon not long ago, several Northern California teams shared their passion with a group of enthusiastic middle school kids.

Longtime Bravo readers may remember Hunter Amlie, the cool 4-year-old with the sunglasses featured on the cover of spring 2009. And now, Hunter is Bon Appétit’s youngest Farm to Fork vendor!

Lucky students at Santa Clara University have been enjoying the irresistible smell of fresh-baked breads— not to mention the taste of flaky croissants, healthy muffins, decadent Danishes, and succulent scones. SCU’s Nobili Bakery, a commissary-style bakery at the Santa Clara,CA, university, first “rolled out” last fall, after two years in the making, and continues to add new offerings and partnerships.

A spotlight on Emmanuel College Chef/Manager Peter Fernandes, one of our employees who started at the entry level then worked his way up to a managerial/chef position. “I tell everyone that even though they might be starting in the dishroom, they can still learn something. Just stand next to someone and ask them to show you what they’re doing, or if they don’t have time to show you, ask if you can watch,” explains Peter.

I first fell in love with Bon Appétit as a student and campus farmer at Washington University in St. Louis. I was part of a ragtag bunch of students growing vegetables with little experience — and yet, with every delivery of a few pounds of arugula or cherry tomatoes, the chefs and mangers at Washington University showed support and gratitude. However, a few professors and fellow students dismissed our work. They thought our efforts were “cute” and questioned why we chose to attend such a world-class university to grow string beans. All the while, our Bon Appétit team cheered us on for engaging in the production of our own food and thinking critically about our agricultural system. From attending potlucks at the garden to advocating for us in administrative matters, Bon Appétit had our backs. This relationship with our chefs and managers meant […]

Melissa Miller, executive chef at SAP, sits for an interview about Bon Appétit Management Company’s cage-free egg policy, then demonstrates how to cook a simple omelet. Directed by 4SP Films for the US chapter of World Society for Protection of Animals, the short video is intended to inspire other corporations to go cage-free in their egg purchasing.

The first thing you notice when you walk into Theory at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) in Portland, OR, is the eye-popping, 10- by-50-foot mural that wraps around the entire soffit of the café. Simple dishes — a burger with the works, a smoothie, bisque, and a pizza—are broken down into vividly photographed ingredients arranged into formulas on a black background.With fewer than 50 words, the display eloquently (and mouthwateringly) conveys the theme of the re-imagined café, which is the playful science of food.

During the summer, Washington University’s student-run farm, The Burning Kumquat, grows much more than just fruits and vegetables. At Camp Kumquat, now in its third year, a new crop of young gardeners is ripening.

If asked, few people might say turnips were on their Top 10 list, but mash them like potatoes with butter and milk, and what guest would turn them down? And many shy away from other lesser-known vegetables for fear of the unknown or lack of cooking knowledge, but chefs — especially lovers of local and seasonal — live for showing off many underserved vegetables and highlighting their best qualities.