Bon Appétit Management Company

Every October, Bon Appétit Management Company recognizes Fair Trade Month by educating our guests about the importance of the internationally recognized certification for ethically made products, which supports equitable global supply chains.  

Sip, sip hooray! Tea is the most popular drink in the world, after water, with 5.8 million metric tons consumed each year. But did you know that all true teas — from black to white to green — are actually made from the same plant? 

It’s Fair Trade month, and we’re recognizing the importance of Fair Trade and other certifications in creating lasting, systemic change in the food system.

In 2015, Bon Appétit became the first food service company to commit to sourcing 100% Fair Trade Certified tea in our cafés. We partnered with Oakland, CA based Numi Tea to make this commitment a reality.  

What does Fair Trade really mean? Learn more — including why you should look for it for your #selfcare products.

The cofounders of 5 Mountains Tea visit University of San Francisco and share the story behind their tea and the values they strive to uphold.

Bon Appétit celebrated Valentine’s Day last week at American University in Washington, DC, by hosting an event that focused on the best part of this holiday: Chocolate! But not just any old chocolate.

Over time, Valentine’s Day changed from a day to celebrate martyrs named Valentine to a romantic day filled with hearts, flowers, cards, and of course, chocolate. But in the past few years, chocolate production has been under public scrutiny because of numerous reports about human trafficking and child labor associated with growing and harvesting cacao. Just as Valentine’s Day has evolved, it’s time to change our chocolate habits and support organizations with fair, humane, and sustainable practices.

Last fall I had the pleasure of traveling to beautiful Colombia to visit the birthplace of the delicious Fair Trade Certified™ Cordillera chocolate with which Bon Appétit Management Company chefs bake. Now that I’ve gone over the basics in my first post and told you all about farming cacao in my second, I can now talk about the social responsibility aspect of the business.

This past fall I traveled to beautiful Colombia to visit the birthplace of the delicious Fair Trade Certified™ Cordillera chocolate with which Bon Appétit Management Company chefs bake. In this second post of the series, I share some of the details of my visits to cacao farms.