Award-winning food service expands culinary presence in Winnipeg
WINNIPEG, MB – Southeast Resource Development Council has chosen award-winning Diversity Foods as food provider at its 100% Indigenous-owned Players Golf Course, located in northwest Winnipeg.
Diversity Foods was born at The University of Winnipeg in 2009 as a joint venture between the University of Winnipeg’s Community Renewal Corporation (UWCRC) and SEED Winnipeg, with a mission to deliver sustainable, quality meals on campus while providing meaningful employment for the community. It operates four food outlets at UWinnipeg in addition to campus and community catering. UWinnipeg has a deep commitment to nurturing collaborative partnerships with First Nations and Indigenous organizations such as the Southeast Resource Development Council.
This new opportunity, operating the Eagles Roost Café at Players Golf Course, is the second “off campus” partnership for Diversity, building on the very successful relationship with the social enterprise, FortWhyte Alive, where it runs the Buffalo Stone Café.
The Eagles Roost Café is now open for lunch and dinner. Breakfast and “after league play” hours will begin at the end of April.
“Our food service model is focused on environmental, social, cultural and economic sustainability,” said Ian Vickers, Chief Operating Officer, Diversity Food Services. “We are honoured to be selected to partner with Players Golf Course and provide approximately 24 jobs on site. This increases our capacity to provide year-round quality employment for our staff, many of whom are Indigenous and new Canadian immigrants.”
Diversity Foods has received numerous awards and recognitions including:
· 2010 Golden Carrot award for Business Community Food Champions
· 2010 The Manitoba Round Table Award for Sustainable Development
· 2010 Iron Chef Manitoba – Executive Chef Ben Kramer
· 2013 Golden Carrot award in Business
· 2013 DEAM Manitoba Champion of Diversity award
· 2013 Gold Medal Plates GOLD – Chef de Cuisine Kelly Cattani
· 2014 Leaders in Environmentally Accountable Food Service (LEAF) Level 2 certification
· 2014 Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Spirit of Winnipeg Award – social enterprise
· 2015 Highest scoring Canadian campus (2nd overall) dining facility of Universities and Colleges in North America audited by the international AASHE-STARS sustainability campus index
· 2015 CIAO MAGAZINE Restaurant of the Year
· 2016 Highest scoring Canadian campus (3rd overall) dining facility of Universities and Colleges in North America audited by the international AASHE-STARS sustainability campus index
MEDIA CONTACT
Diane Poulin, Senior Communications Specialist, The University of Winnipeg
P: 204.988.7135, E: d.poulin@uwinnipeg.ca
