We can complain about the weather, but--as a four-year senior declared in assembly Thursday morning--the food at Proctor is beyond reproach. The venue, of course, is Cannon Dining Hall, which occupies the south end of Farrell Fieldhouse. 

 

Twenty-five years ago, Arthur Makechnie realized the blessings of life in the north country, and--walking away from a Boston-area prep school--presented himself as a candidate for Food Service Manager at a school that had not been looking for one. It's also true that we were quietly disgruntled with an institutional food service (that should remain nameless.) So compelling was Art and his credentials, that we broke contract with SAGA (ooops,) and suddenly had our own, independent food program!

 

The improvement in the quality of food was immediate: breads were fresh baked, the variety of entrees tripled, recipes reflected personal creativity and health-conscious initiatives (such as reduced sodium in soups, and less reliance on sugary cakes) won over the community.



As these images demonstrate, we transitioned to a self-serve system in which we browse between "islands" or stations offering entrees, salads, rice dishes (every lunch and dinner,) fruit and desserts, make-your-own breakfast smoothies, custom made waffles, cereal and dried fruits and a beverage counter offering everything from cappuccino to soy milk.

 

In fact, the extraordinary variety of options enables those of us with quirky preferences to come knowing that we'll leave happy. (The fruit salad at lunch is replenished repeatedly!)  The kitchen purchases local produce to the degree possible, serves vegetables from local organic farms (including our own compost-fed garden,) and rigorously accommodates students with food allergies.

This is the panini service next to the sandwich bar at lunch.



I'm happily drafting text and shooting images for a website that will bring Proctor Food Services to the community and the world. They are a proud crew. Their mission statement reads, "To serve the Proctor community by maintaining a friendly and hospitable self-serve dining area while preparing nutritious and flavorful meals." That works for me.

But get this. While many kitchens would plead for a web presence that boasts of food quality, I've been instructed to illuminate the concept of hospitality in my text. It's the fact that the dining room is place of human connection that the kitchen crew wants to present first and foremost! And it's true. Here's Lindsay Brown giving math extra help--as she does three mornings every week, at Wednesday breakfast:

 

Their pride in their food service as a means to greater community involvement--all the meetings, committees, trustee lunches--this is the currency for Proctor Food Services.

 Jake reads from Josh Lieb's I Am a Genius Of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President by the Friday puzzler table.



Student Activities runs a contest every Friday...more than a trivia contest, it asks us to answer several questions of global scope. Winners get frappes or something....



I am excited that Proctor Food Services is going to have a web presence that is well deserved!