Telling the stories behind the food really resonates with me. Every plate holds layers of history, culture, and effort that’s often unseen until you dig deeper. I find inspiration in these stories—whether they come from local farmers discussing sustainable agricultural practices, or seeing firsthand how small, conscious changes from the consumer in a food system can ripple out to make a huge difference.
The Bon Appétit Blog
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Bon Appetit’s Eat Local Challenge Turns 20!
For our Eat Local Challenge’s 20th anniversary, accounts across the country Bon Appetit teams brought their A-game to the fun and delicious celebration of the program, the partnerships, and of course, the food. Teams kept things fresh this year by adding pre-promotional activities, trivia, raffles, and giveaways to engage our guests. Read on to hear about all the friends and flavors that came together for the 20th anniversary of ELC!
Celebrating Amazing Maize for Hispanic Heritage Month
- Blog
Each year, Bon Appétit Management Company takes advantage of the opportunity to honor and celebrate the cultural heritage of our team members and guests who identify with the Hispanic and Latinx community. Hispanic Heritage Month takes place from September 15th to October 15th, and we are thrilled for the chance to recognize and uplift the voices of our culinarians through their recipes and food traditions.
How a Love for Horses Led to the Bon Appétit Fellowship
- Blog
There wasn’t just one thing that drew me into food systems work, it was a culmination of all my previous passions, starting with horses. For almost two decades, my grandparents owned a 50-acre farm in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. The land had open pasture, dense woods, and manicured gardens that my grandmother dutifully maintained. I adored every part of that farm, especially the herd of horses my grandparents cared for. They were untrained and dirty, but during twice-annual visits, I spent all my time in the pasture. I grew up alongside them.
Leadership and Career Development at Bon Appétit
- Blog
Here at Bon Appétit, we’re fortunate to be surrounded by talented people every day: baristas who wield a mean cappuccino and a knack for event planning; cooks who prepare delicious meals at scale and inspire their peers; cashiers who consistently brighten our guests’ days.
Maybe YOU have a mind for numbers or a penchant for eye-catching merchandising. As busy operators, many of us wish we could devote more time to strengthening our skills and growing our careers at Bon Appétit.
Sowing Success: Our New White Paper Highlights Lessons Learned from 25 Years of Purchasing Local Food
- Blog
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.
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.
Farm to Fork Profile: Bon Appétit and The Common Market: The Story of an Ever-Expanding Partnership
- Blog
In 2010, the Bon Appétit Management Company team at the University of Pennsylvania struck up a partnership with The Common Market, a new non-profit organization dedicated to building sustainable and equitable local food systems. Nearly 15 years later, Bon Appétit and The Common Market have grown together, with Bon Appétit-served colleges, universities, cultural institutions, and corporate headquarters sourcing from The Common Market in Pennsylvania, New York, Georgia, Texas, Illinois, and beyond. Here’s the story of how the partnership, centered around shared values, grew from one metro region on the East Coast to span half of the United States.
Farm to Fork Profile: Stewarding Special Land, Making Special Cheese at Point Reyes
The cows of our Farm to Fork partners at Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company have a pretty awesome view. Situated at the southern tip of Tomales Bay in Marin County, California, the farm’s residents look out over the long, narrow bay to the Point Reyes peninsula, one of the most ecologically diverse (and breathtakingly beautiful) places in the country.