In honor of the 25th anniversary of Farm to Fork, our groundbreaking local sourcing program, we’ve synthesized our many lessons learned into a white paper, Sowing Success: Local Food Purchasing Insights from 25 Years of the Farm to Fork Program.

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Bravo is Back!
- Blog
We’re thrilled to share the newest issue of Bravo – affectionately known as the “almost-quarterly newsletter of Bon Appetit Management Company,” which went on hiatus during the pandemic. Today, it’s back with a new format but the same commitment to celebrating our people and their accomplishments. Check it out!

Cooking from Toronto to LA: Celebrating Jeff Thurston, our 2024 Chef of the Year
Jeff Thurston has been at this for a while. Compass and Bon Appétit Management Company’s 2024 Chef of the Year has been working in restaurants since he was a teenager growing up in Toronto. It didn’t take long for the energy of restaurants to grab hold of Jeff. Over 30 years later, he still thrives off the action in the back of the house and the buzz of guests in the front of the house.

Kudos to the Team at Birmingham Southern College for Seven Great Years of Service
- Blog
Kudos to the leadership and team for a successful run at Birmingham Southern College – way to show up for your guests and each other all the way to the end!

Farm to Fork Profile: New Creation Farm and a Partnership that Feels Like Family
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In 2014, Vincent Gaikens went looking for a change. After a decade and a half of working for another large food service company, he felt a longing to develop relationships with local farmers and showcase seasonal ingredients from his home state of Ohio. After a brief job search, Vincent found a match with Bon Appétit at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). “As soon as I started, I was enamored,” says Vincent. “I remember the first delivery I got from a farmer. I shook his hand and felt this connection – like he was transferring responsibility to me through this handshake.” As the Campus Executive Chef at CWRU and regional Forager in Bon Appétit’s Southeast-Midwest region, Vincent embraced Bon Appétit’s Farm to Fork commitment from the very beginning of his time with the company. He began reaching out to potential […]

Penn Dining Wins Two NACUFS Awards for Their Events and Programming
- Blog
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!

Farm to Fork Profile: A Model for Local Sourcing at Rogers Williams University
- Blog
The Bon Appétit at Roger Williams team has built a leading local sourcing program, bringing the best of the state’s cornucopia of seafood, produce, and animal proteins to campus. Over the past 18 years, the team, led by General Manager James Gubata and Culinary Director Jonathan Cambra, has worked closely with a tight-knit group of Farm to Fork vendors, learning some valuable lessons along the way.

Stories and Reflections from Elise Dudley, our East Coast Fellow
- Blog
I can still remember wandering through a sea of broad-leafed bibb, bitter frisée, and tangy watercress greens at Stone Creek Hydroponics in Hartwell, Georgia during my first month traveling as a Bon Appétit Fellow. Not long after the greenhouse tour concluded, I was invited to stay for dinner with the Unruh family and I found myself in the kitchen with Zach and Janelle (and their five sons) chatting about farming, community living, and hearing how neighbors rallied around their farm during the pandemic.

Commemorating Juneteenth
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This year, we’re unpacking the history of Juneteenth and sharing how Bon Appétit teams across the country are commemorating the holiday. Taking inspiration from the wisdom of our previous Juneteenth partner CheFarmer Matthew Raiford, we are using this day as an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices made — and that continue to be made — in the struggle to dismantle the structures of racism and white supremacy. As Raiford astutely puts it, “freedom ain’t free”.

Lessons Learned as Bon Appétit’s West Coast Fellow
- Blog
The past two years as Bon Appétit’s West Coast Fellow have been filled with meaningful connections, growth, and invaluable knowledge about our current food system. Visiting accounts just under 40 times in four semesters, I’ve had the opportunity to learn from a diverse range of people to explore the most pressing issues of the food industry.
Bon Appétit’s operators and chefs, as well as our growers, processors, students, and professors with whom we work have given me insight into a range of perspectives and solutions to a sustainable food future. Here are some insights I’ve gained in my time as a Fellow…