Food and feedback: Aramark Student Nutrition focuses on community and change through shared meals

PHILADELPHIA — As the school year begins, Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) Student Nutrition is ready to nurture the potential of every student by providing hospitality excellence and culinary innovation across all the school districts it serves. This innovation was driven by the results of tens of thousands of student and caregiver surveys conducted last spring.

“When we say we value community engagement and input, we mean it,” said Barbara Flanagan, president and CEO of Aramark Student Nutrition. “Our outreach to middle and high school students, as well as parents and guardians of elementary students, and their feedback shaped our dining experience for the upcoming school year. Students prioritized food taste, freshness and appearance, while parents put healthy food options on that list.”

To meet this need, Student Nutrition has enlisted its Culinary Alliance chefs to work with its Nutrition Network to offer even more exciting recipes using fresh and local ingredients. These recipes include limited-time specials for each month of the school year, as well as homemade cinnamon sugar churros with Sunbutter cocoa dip as a breakfast option, turkey barbacoa tacos, a “new-stalgic” patty melt, a permanent addition to last year’s high school hit LTO Quesa-Birria, and a special bowl of Rally Café Station Mediterranean grains.

Community involvement

This fusion of community desires and national trends doesn’t stop with the Student Nutrition teams. Indian Hill High School in Ohio led the way with its guest chef program – the school’s principal worked with food service director Peter Wynne to develop his special “Italian Sausage and Peppers” menu. This was quickly followed by the athletic staff’s Kickin’ Spicy Chicken Sandwich and Slow Roasted Pulled Pork Sandwich.

“I’ve worked in the hospitality industry for over 20 years,” Wynne said, “and I know that building relationships is one of the most important aspects of hospitality.”

Building authentic relationships that reflect communities includes a commitment to offering diverse culinary menus. Aramark has created new Chef Spotlight meals for participating districts this year for Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, Women’s Heritage Month, and Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month. In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month in September, Student Nutrition districts will offer authentic and delicious Arroz con Pollo, Sopita, and Picadillo Burrito meals.

“Dining is a communal experience. We love involving students and the larger K-12 community in our dining program,” said Chef Laura McMann. “When we can incorporate their kitchen innovations, whether through shared guest recipes or adapting award-winning student chef menus, we can create a unique ambiance that fits the specific area.”

Culinary evolution

It’s not just the community that can show off their cooking skills. In Texas, there’s a cooking camp that trains all kitchen staff in the techniques and processes that enable excellence. Not everyone in the cafeteria is a chef, but all staff can hone their skills.

“Our employees are constantly seeking knowledge and new experiences,” said Terry Kirk, Vice President of Human Resources at ASN. “We are honored to find new ways to provide our employees with this lifelong learning experience, whether it’s through traditional annual training modules or hands-on, fun workshops delivered at a ‘summer camp.'”

Improving skills and knowledge extends beyond operational teams. The Nutrition Network conducted a member survey to catalog its members’ strengths and find ways to share expertise. The current network has nearly 450 years of combined nutrition experience, as well as several additional degrees and qualifications. The range of key knowledge areas is diverse, with particular emphasis on allergens and special diets, as well as a comprehensive understanding of USDA regulations.

In addition, Aramark has launched Connect365, a wellness communications hub that provides turnkey resources for communicating about customer health and wellness. This powerful new tool enables partner school districts to share informative blogs from Aramark’s latest What can parents do? Series to share tips and tricks for raising their school-age children and then distribute tailored wellness communications to help parents on their journey to a healthier life for the whole family. Thanks to the insights and inspiration of hundreds of our chefs, nutritionists and other wellness experts, this library of knowledge can be shared in digital communications in three simple steps: copy, paste, post.

Want to see what Aramark Student Nutrition is cooking up this school year? Visit the redesigned website to see the latest innovations in district meal programs, as well as informative articles and case studies on how Student Nutrition is fueling the potential of students across the country.

About Aramark

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) is proud to serve the world’s leading educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, prominent healthcare providers, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous communities in 15 countries around the world with food and facilities management. Our culture of hospitality inspires our employees to strive to do great things for each other, our partners, our communities and the planet. Aramark has been named to FORTUNE’s list of the World’s Most Admired Companies, Points of Light’s 2024 Civic 50, Fair360’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity and Top Companies for Black Executives, Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies 2024, HRC’s Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality, and received a score of 100 on the Disability Equality Index. Learn more at www.aramark.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Xand Instagram.