Bon Appétit Management Company

Penn Dining chefs competed in their second annual Wellness Cup Competition, showcasing their plant-forward spin on an American classic: the burger. The winning dish was a true Bon Appétit classic, featuring seasonality, waste diversion, and teamwork — all on one plate.   

Big congratulations are due to the culinary team at Penn Dining who just won two silver awards in this year’s National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) competition!  

Generally, producing animal-based foods like beef, lamb, and dairy products creates more carbon emissions than plant-based foods like beans, legumes, and whole grains – and is why shifting to a diet centered on plants is one of the most impactful ways to combat climate change.  

From growing to processing, transporting to storage, and managing excess food waste, each step in the food chain produces carbon emissions.   

This Earth Day, we are flipping the switch to plants to lower our individual and collective carbon footprint! We are challenging our guests to use this Earth Day as an opportunity to consider climate-friendly alternatives throughout our cafés.

Penn chefs took street food to the next level over the course of the first annual Wellness Cup, creating flavorful yet approachable dishes such as jackfruit empanadas, hearts of palm lobster rolls, a build-your-own falafel bar, vegan bang-bang cauliflower steak, and cornbread pancakes with seitan chili, spicy maple syrup, and “sour cream” derived from a sunflower seed base. But the winning dish was…

We believe that it takes more than one person or one siloed team in a company to truly make sustainability a core operating principle. From our wellness and purchasing teams to our managers and cooks in the field, we strive for sustainability to be second nature across every level of our company.  

This simple roasted vegetable recipe was created by Essence Sage Oyos of Golden Eagle Farm.

From beets and carrots to radishes and ginger, root vegetables are the foundation of countless delicious dishes, bringing depth and earthy flavor to your plate. Celebrate the breadth of root vegetables and explore dishes that highlight these ingredients.

Across the country, Bon Appétit teams have been hard at work paving the way for a plant-forward revolution. The Bon Appétit Fellows have embarked on a similar mission to spread inspiration and knowledge about how to cook with vegetables through a series of plant-based cooking demonstrations for college students.