Diversity Food Services’ Executive Chef, Kelly Andreas. ©UWinnipeg
Diversity Food Services is cooking up some of the most sustainable campus meals in North America at The University of Winnipeg.
For a fourth consecutive year, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) scored UWinnipeg as the top Canadian campus and fourth overall in the food and dining category for their Sustainable Campus Index.
Scoring is based on meatless dining and sustainable food and beverage purchasing and practices.
“It’s a privilege,” said Executive Chef Kelly Andreas. “We do everything from scratch and as locally and organically sustainable as possible.”
Created in 2009 as a joint venture with UWinnipeg’s Community Renewal Corporation (UWCRC) and SEED Winnipeg, Diversity Food Services operates six food outlets at UWinnipeg, in addition to campus and community catering.
With many other dining options close to campus, Andreas said it’s important to offer progressive, healthy, and locally sourced alternatives for students.
Part of that progressive thinking has led to the use of only antibiotic-free chicken in their dishes.
“Every piece of chicken we bring into our buildings is raised without antibiotics, so that’s a huge stepping stone,” said Andreas, noting UWinnipeg is the first Canadian campus to offer that to its students.
Looking forward to 2019, he is aiming to improve UWinnipeg’s AASHE score to 70 per cent by working with more local organic farmers. UWinnipeg scored 65 per cent the previous two years.
Diversity Food Services has received numerous awards and recognitions, including:
- 2018 LEAF Awards: Greenest restaurant over 10,000 square feet
- 2017 top-scoring North American university or college in the food category for Sierra Club Magazine’s Coolest Schools ranking
- 2015 Ciao! Magazine Restaurant of the Year
- 2014 Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Spirit of Winnipeg award – social enterprise
