General Manager Kimberly Triplett
University of Maryland, Baltimore
Location: Baltimore, MD
Number of people fed each day: 2,000
With Bon Appétit Management Company since: 2002
Farm to Fork Farmer: Brett Evans, Even' Star Organic Farm
Quote:
“Reaching out to farmers and supporting the work they do is incredibly important. As other food businesses jump on board, chefs start to rethink the foods they serve, eaters start to approach their food differently, and things start to change. That is ultimately what will really change our food system.”
Why I work with food:
Since I was a child, I always knew I’d work with food. My uncle was a restaurateur in DC and I starting working with him in the kitchen when I was 12. He loved people and he loved food. He influenced me greatly. My family lived in
England for a few years and my mother encouraged my sisters and me to take the train into
London and explore. And that meant eating! I also got to experience the flavors and cultures of
France,
Spain,
Germany, and
Switzerland, which sealed my passion. At a time when there weren’t the accolades for chefs that there are now, Julia Child was a huge influence on me as the only woman to be recognized for her culinary contributions. After working with my uncle for so many years, I attended the Baltimore International Culinary Institute. I’m so glad I’ve been able to gather up all my experience and come here and help continue the dream…it’s my passion too and I’m proud to work at Bon Appétit.
What sustainability means to me:
Sustainability is all about making connections between the people who grow our food, the chefs who prepare it, and the diners. The first time I visited Brett Evans’ organic farm in
Southern Maryland was one of my most inspiring moments. We walked the fields with him, cutting open and sampling golden melons, plucking squash flowers, and slicing into tri-colored tomatoes. This was some of the most flavorful produce I’ve ever tasted. We brought some of this produce back to the kitchen and the kitchen staff was enchanted by the intensity of the flavors in Brett’s fruits and vegetables. At first he didn’t want to sell to us, preferring to concentrate on his restaurant accounts and farmers’ market. We finally convinced him of the benefits of working with Bon Appétit by buying whatever he’d sell us and working it into our menus. Change can be difficult for people, especially when it involves their food and sometimes our initiatives challenge eaters. I like to bring them along by making the changes fun. On Low Carbon Diet day we designed menus to raise awareness of the link between food and climate change. We publicized the online calculator and involved students by encouraging them to participate in taste tests of our low carbon pizza, low carbon tacos, and low carbon local salad. It was very successful at
Georgetown. The students took the time to go online and play with the calculator and really appreciated being able to interact with it. Letting them taste the food helped them accept the changes to their diets we were asking them to make. I think the best way to tell the story of our innovative practices is through the food.
Why Bon Appétit Management Company is Different:
Two things set us apart. One is the food. The menus are chef-driven, locally focused, and built upon our direct relationships with farmers. But it’s also the people. Starting from the very top with our CEO, Fedele Bauccio, the people who work here care about each other. I was asked to do a cooking demo on a local TV station and I was really nervous. Fedele actually picked up the phone to remind me that he’s tasted my food and he knew I’d do great. I couldn’t believe that in a company with 10,000 employees, he actually took the time to make that call.