(Photo by Claire Le Du)
By Claire Le Du
“A healthy mind in a healthy body.”
That Roman ideal, expressed by the poet Juvenal in the first century, is why I, as a student, want to know where our food comes from—and to understand more about the complicated business that is the University of Richmond dining hall. Thousands of students eat there every day, supported by hundreds of workers who purchase, process, cook, and serve the food in the cafeteria line. To learn more about what’s on our plate, I spoke to Tyler Betzhold, the university’s executive chef, about the origin of the food eaten on campus and the volume of our daily consumption.
First, how much money does the University spend on food?
Millions of dollars!
How many meals do you serve every day?
It depends on the day. It can vary from 350 to 5000 meals a day. Roughly between 700 and 800 meals for breakfast and 1500 meals for lunch and dinner.
How many eggs do you serve, for example?
1000 eggs a day.
Where does all this food come from?
We import thousands of items, including food products from all over the world. But it also depends on the time of the year and what’s available. The vast majority is from the U.S. What we consider local food is grown within a 250-mile radius. Beyond that, we mostly get our food from California and Florida.
To fill their rice bowls, UR students have many choices. (Photo by Claire Le Du)
Is it organically grown?
Our food is unfortunately not organic—that would require a higher budget. But our fish is fresh and the meat as well. These are high-quality items.
What is your source for chicken?
Some is from Tyson Food, Inc. But it depends on the part of the chicken we want. We get the chicken breast in a different place than the chicken thigh—this has a lot to do with our relationship with the provider.
Where does our fish come from?
ProFish Seafood out of DC. On top of that, we work in accordance with the Monterrey Bay recommendations seafood watch.
What about the meat?
We use Seven Hills Beef, a local company, for all our ground beef. The challenge with meat is that locals can’t supply enough meats. We did have a local pork company that did our sausages, but unfortunately, transportation was a challenge for them. With the strict regulations we must follow, we had to pause for a while.
How about desserts?
A team of five bakers prepares the desserts.
Do you use colorants on them?
Yes, they do add colorants to the cakes. Deco-Pak is a baking company that does the dyes.
How does the dining hall accommodate vegans?
The university’s dining hall does not lack for options, including a vegan stand. Those meals are prepared by the bakers. It’s getting bigger and bigger, and people are more interested in vegan food now. It’s definitely something we’ll keep growing.
To end on a healthy note: the “Live Well, Dine Green” monthly events held at the Dining hall feature locally sourced food items such as winter vegetables, fresh strawberries, and tofu, with the aim of promoting sustainability. These events serve as an opportunity for University of Richmond staff, students, and faculty to gain insights into the origins and characteristics of the food they consume.
https://youtu.be/bxLX5EQONUs