Bon Appétit Wins Rabobank Award for Leadership and Excellence  

Food service pioneer is recognized for trailblazing social and environmental responsibility

NEW YORK (November 30, 2017)Bon Appétit Management Company was announced today as the 2017 recipient of the Rabobank Award for Leadership and Excellence. This annual award is presented to a trailblazing company that has set standards of excellence within the food and agribusiness industry. The award was presented at the Rabobank Food and Agribusiness Summit in New York City.

The Leadership and Excellence award is one of three esteemed Food & Agribusiness Leadership Awards, presented annually by Rabobank to organizations that have demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and business and environmental sustainability in the F&A industry. Nominations for each of the distinct award categories were reviewed by a panel of judges across industry, academia, and the public sector.

Bon Appétit Regional Vice President Elaine Smart accepting the Rabobank Leadership Award from David Bassett, Rabobank North America Head of Wholesale Banking

Bon Appétit, an established pioneer in environmentally sound sourcing policies, was recognized for successfully scaling its commitments to sustainability and corporate citizenship as it has grown. Founded in 1987, the company operates more than 1,000 cafés for corporations, universities, and museums, including the corporate headquarters of Google, Adobe, Oracle, and LinkedIn. It also operates public restaurants including The Commissary and STEM Kitchen & Garden in San Francisco, Terzo Piano at the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Restaurant at The Getty. At all locations, Bon Appétit chefs cook authentic, restaurant-quality food from scratch using responsibly sourced ingredients.

“We are thrilled to present Bon Appétit with this year’s Leadership and Excellence Award,” said Paul Beiboer, CEO, Rabobank North America. “Bon Appétit has not only elevated the quality of onsite food service to fine dining territory, it has taken responsibility for the well-being of the communities it serves through its Farm to Fork model and excellent track record in environmental and social commitments.”

Starting with the launch of its Farm to Fork local-purchasing program in 1999, Bon Appétit has led the industry in commitments toward its goal of “food service for a sustainable future,” including animal welfare, sustainable seafood, responsible antibiotics, connecting food to climate change, preventing food waste, upholding farmworkers’ rights, and more. The company was also recognized for its innovation in areas such as responsible disposables and rescuing imperfect produce from going to waste on farms.

“I’m particularly honored that Bon Appétit Management Company has received Rabobank’s Leadership and Excellence Award this year, as it’s our 30th anniversary. I never imagined when I co-founded Bon Appétit that we’d become over a billion-dollar leader in sustainability and wellness with clients in 33 states,” said CEO Fedele Bauccio. “I owe an extreme debt of gratitude to the 18,000 employees who make our Dream a reality every day.”

 

About Rabobank 

Rabobank Group is a global financial services leader providing wholesale and retail banking, leasing, and real estate services in more than 40 countries worldwide. Founded over a century ago, Rabobank today is one of the world’s largest banks with over $750 billion in assets. In the Americas, Rabobank is a premier bank to the food, agribusiness and beverage industry, providing sector expertise, strategic counsel and tailored financial solutions to clients across the entire food value chain.

Additional information is available on Rabobank’s website and social media platforms, including Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Bonnie Powell (Bon Appétit), (650) 798-8022, [email protected]

Catharine Rossano (Rabobank), (212) 808-2576, [email protected]