• FQAM Online: Volume Two
• Variety
  • Differentiation: Where the Profits Are
  • Innovation with Latin Flavors
• Sustainability
  • What Can Food Service Do?
  • Conquering "Can't-Be-Done" Thinking
• Flavor
  • The Mechanics of Taste
  • Flavor Experiment
• Innovation
  • What's New? What's Next?
  • Sandwiches with a Vietnamese Accent
• Online Marketplace
• Resources and Recipes
  • Conference Resources
  • Moroccan Charmoula
  • Romesco Sauce and Romesco Vinaigrette
  • Harissa Vinaigrette and Mayonnaise
  • Vietnamese Sandwich
  • Vietnamese Braised Pork
  • Marinated Daikon and Carrots
  • Coriander Vinaigrette
• FQAM Online: Volume One

The Sustainable Table: What Can Foodservice Do?

John Turenne was the executive chef at Yale University when the school began exploring ways to run a more sustainable foodservice operation. A self-described naysayer on the matter, Turenne worried that the changes would drive up costs and that students wouldn't appreciate having fewer choices on the menu.

He's a convert now. The Yale program was so successful that Turenne started his own consulting company to help other institutions make similar changes.

More than ever, foodservice operators need to understand the issue of sustainability because consumers are increasingly asking about the source of their food. You may not choose to alter your practices yet, but you should at least grasp the principles of sustainable food operations and consider the challenges and rewards.

Buying local produce in season from farmers who grow it responsibly—with practices that don't damage the environment or endanger their workers—is probably the biggest step foodservice operators can take toward sustainability. And it may be easier than you think. Turenne was chagrined to realize that Yale had been buying its tomatoes from across the country when there was a good heirloom tomato grower nearby.

Challenges abound, but they're manageable. Turenne's advice:

• Educate customers and staff so they understand the "why" behind the changes. Take your staff to the farms so they can meet growers face to face.
• Promote what you're doing, and make it a marketing plus. Remind customers of how they benefit (better flavor, keeping dollars in the community, more nutritious produce).
• Create menus and recipes that exploit what you can get. If you have an organic melon grower nearby, showcase those melons every way you can.
• Work with your state department of agriculture to find out where the region's farmers are and who's growing what. One supplier can often lead you to another. Turenne's honey supplier, who hires his bees out for pollination, put him in touch with several local orchards.
• Manage costs by limiting your menu. "At Yale, we were concerned about streamlining a menu with lots of choices," admits Turenne. "What was the customer going to think?" But the project, which debuted in one dining hall, became so popular that the university had to restrict access. Diners clearly preferred quality over choice.

One of the biggest rewards of Yale's sustainable program, and one that Turenne did not foresee, was how thoroughly it energized the food staff. Working with just-picked, local, in-season produce restored his chefs' passion for cooking.