News
July 1st, 2008
Dining Services team wins gold in chefs'' competition
A team of Dining Services chefs won a gold medal June 20 during the Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference held on campus. Chef Tony Jung of Berkshire Dining Commons led the team, whose other members were chef Simon Stevenson, pastry; chef Chi Cuong Huynh, catering; and chef Christine DePault, also of Berkshire Dining Commons.
June 9th, 2008
Former White House Chef Walter Scheib Featured at UMass Amherst Chef’s Conference June 16-20
AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Amherst is hosting the 14th annual “Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference” for campus food services June 16-20 at the Marriott Center in the Campus Center and Berkshire Dining Commons. The featured guest is former White House chef Walter Scheib.
May 17th, 2008
At Colleges, High Food Costs Mean More Common Fare
BOSTON — Harvard is the world’s richest university, yet it recently pulled whole grain pasta from the dining service menu, replaced cherry tomatoes with wedges, and even started using more chicken thighs in lieu of breasts.
April 30th, 2008
Taste-testing at the Mullins
This past Thursday, the Mullins Center underwent a staggering transformation. Basketball nets and courtside seats disappeared, but the crowd noise remained. Concession stands closed down, but the scent of food lingered even stronger in the air. The court was packed with vendors and Dining Commons chefs alike, as thousands of hungry students elbowed their way through the crowd for a shot at some free food, drinks, and maybe - just maybe - a little taste of glory.
April 24th, 2008
A Taste of Something Different
Tonight, when you head down to your local DC for your evening meal, don''t be surprised if you are turned away. No, there isn''t a strike. There hasn''t been a kitchen fire. The University hasn''t simply run out of food - quite the contrary, in fact. Tonight, University of Massachusetts Dining Services is pulling out all the stops, redirecting all their resources to the Mullins Center for an event they like to call, "Taste of UMass."
March 6th, 2008
UMass Amherst Dining Services receives 2008 Ivy Award
The University of Massachusetts Dining Services has been awarded one of Restaurants and Institutions (R&I) Magazine''s 2008 Ivy Awards for excellence in the food service industry. "This is the award that every dining establishment would love to have," said Executive Director of UMass Dining Services Ken Toong. The R&I Ivy Awards are given annually to food service institutions that demonstrate the highest standards of achievement in food, service and overall hospitality.
March 3rd, 2008
UMass Amherst Dining Services Receives Prestigious 2008 Ivy Award
Dining Services at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has been named one of six winners of the 2008 Restaurants and Institutions magazine Ivy Awards, one of the oldest and most-coveted awards in the food service industry. Besides UMass Amherst, award winners this year include top restaurants in Chicago, New York, California and Las Vegas as well as a hospital in Texas.
February 25th, 2008
Restaurants & Institutions Announces 2008 Ivy Award Winners
Restaurants & Institutions magazine has announced the recipients of its 38th annual Ivy Awards, one of the oldest and most-coveted accolades in the foodservice industry. Six operations that embody the Ivy standards for excellence in food and service will be inducted into the Ivy Society in Chicago on May 18, 2008. This year’s recipients will be honored at a gala Ivy Awards Celebration and Dinner held at The Field Museum, an event that coincides with the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Hotel-Motel Show.
February 19th, 2008
Chef taking taste of Tech to New England
BLACKSBURG -- A taste of Virginia Tech will soon be introduced to the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Mark Bratton, West End Market dining center''s executive chef has been invited by UMass to serve as one of eight guest chefs from universities across the country during the 2007-08 school year. Tech was voted as having the best university dining services by the Princeton Review for 2008.
January 25th, 2008
Sustainability 101
Toong brings seafood back to UMass Amherst''s dining halls The college cafeteria isn''t what it used to be. Instead of one location with restrictive two-hour service periods, there are dozens where staff and students can satisfy their appetites at any hour. Instead of mystery meat, there is ethnic food, pizza, grilled-to-order burgers, salad bars and theme menus. And there is seafood beyond tuna salad.
December 1st, 2007
Dining Services locally grown program to expand
Over the past year Dining Services at the University of Massachusetts has purchased 20 percent of its produce from area farms as part of a locally grown program. Within two years they hope to be purchasing as much as 25 percent from local farms. A farmer''s market was opened in the Campus Center this semester as part of the University''s effort to expand the locally grown plan.
November 14th, 2007
UMass dining halls become eco-conscious
Serving thousands of hungry students is no easy task, and doing it as efficiently and as environmentally friendly as possible takes a lot of effort. But thanks to a variety of programs put together by Ken Toong, head of Dining Services at the University of Massachusetts, the DCs have made big strides in the last few years.
November 8th, 2007
Go Fish!: DC Edition - An adventure into the world of sustainable seafood
Click below to download this months issue.
October 31st, 2007
Thousands to Enjoy Live Lobster Feast Hosted On Halloween by UMass Amherst Dining Services
AMHERST, Mass. – Dining Services at the University of Massachusetts Amherst will hold its sixth annual Halloween “Tricks, Treats ’n’ More” dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31. All dining halls on campus will participate in treating more than 13,000 students to Maine live lobster, clam chowder, strip steak, locally grown vegetables and apple cider.
October 2nd, 2007
UMass Amherst Dining Services Supports Local Farmers with New Farmers’ Market on Campus
AMHERST, Mass. – Dining Services at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is expanding its commitment to locally grown produce by making it available at a farmers’ market on campus each Thursday and Friday until late November. Located in the Campus Center concourse outside the Bluewall Cafe, the market is open from 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
October 1st, 2007
Dining Services Teams Up With Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute for Seafood Week
AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) will host a Wild Alaska Seafood Week beginning Monday, Oct. 1 at the campus dining commons. The events are designed to promote seafood sustainability.
September 21st, 2007
UMass dining services introduces Scheib as first in guest chef series
Fine dining came to the University of Massachusetts with the arrival of former White House chef Walter Scheib Wednesday night. Scheib was the main White House chef for 11 years, working for President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush. He served UMass students the favorite dishes of both presidents, such as sweet potato soup and penne pasta salad.
September 14th, 2007
Guest Chef Series at UMass Amherst Features Former White House Chef Walter Scheib on Sept. 19
AMHERST, Mass. – Walter Scheib, the former executive chef for the White House, will visit the University of Massachusetts Amherst on Wednesday, Sept. 19 as part of Dining Services’ Guest Chef Series. Scheib, the author of “White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen,” will prepare dishes from his tenure in Washington, D.C., which spanned the presidencies of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Scheib will greet students during the three-course dinner, which will be served in the Berkshire Dining Commons from 5-9 p.m. The meal will include such Clinton family favorites as sweet potato soup with curried cream and baby back ribs with fire cracker dipping sauce, and Bush family favorites such as corn and scallop chowder and penne pasta salad.
September 13th, 2007
Live Well and Eat Smart
Live Well & Eat Smart: DC Edition ~ Eat up, in style, and have fun doing it!
July 9th, 2007
The BIG School that Could
UMASS Dining Services Delivers the Goods in a Tough Environment.
June 18th, 2007
Food Management Magazine Announces Winners of its 2007 “Best Concept” Awards Competition
Univ. of Massachusetts, Berkshire Dining Commons: a highly stylized, multi-station, food-forward eatery that has significantly upgraded board dining on the campus. Highly flexible, the facility’s stations are specifically designed to be adapted over time for a variety of cuisines, prep and serving styles and traffic flows.
June 8th, 2007
UMass Amherst Hosts Chef Culinary Conference
AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Amherst is hosting the 13th annual “Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference” for campus food services June 11-15. The event focuses on three key factors in campus dining: flavor, wellness and sustainability. Conference events will be held at the Campus Center and Berkshire Dining Commons.
June 8th, 2007
Dining Services Wins Gold Award for Multiple Concepts at National Food Services Contest
AMHERST, Mass. – The National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) has announced that the University of Massachusetts Amherst Dining Services received a gold award in the 2007 Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards for residence hall dining – multiple concepts.
April 25th, 2007
Guest Chef Series At UMass Amherst Features Nationally Renowned Mexican Chef on April 24
Students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst students will get to sample the regional Mexican Oaxaca cuisine of Iliana de la Vega, on Tuesday, April 24, from 5-9 p.m. in the Berkshire Dinning Commons. The chef series is managed by UMass Amherst Dining Services.
April 19th, 2007
Taste of UMass Will Feature Healthy World Cuisines, Nationally Renowned Chef on Thursday, April 19
AMHERST, Mass. – The Taste of UMass 2007, one of the largest campus food service gatherings in the nation, expects to draw 8,000 students on Thursday, April 19, from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Mullins Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
This year’s event will feature nationally renowned chef and television personality Jet Tila, who will demonstrate healthy cooking techniques to students and offer his expertise on how to prepare healthy Southeast Asian cuisine. Local farmers and staff from Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) will also be on hand.
March 29th, 2007
New law may assist area farms
Even in the dead of winter, farmer Joseph J. Czajkowski brings vegetables to dining halls at the University of Massachusetts. In early March, he delivered locally grown potatoes, onions, carrots, butternut squash, turnips, apples, apple cider, carrot sticks and even bean sprouts.
March 13th, 2007
UMass Amherst Chef Wins Regional Culinary Competition
University of Massachusetts Amherst chef Anthony J. Jung won the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) Northeast Region Culinary Challenge held March 4-7 at the University of Connecticut and is headed to the nationals this summer.
February 28th, 2007
DC News - March 2007, The Year of the Golden Pig
February 23rd, 2007
Guest Chef Series at UMass Amherst Opens With Joanne Weir of San Francisco Feb. 22
AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts Amherst students will get to meet and sample the work of three outstanding chefs in February and March as part of the Guest Chef Series in the Berkshire Dining Commons.
The series, managed by UMass Amherst Dining Services, starts Thursday, Feb. 22, from 5-9 p.m. with Joanne Weir, a San Francisco-based culinary expert. Weir is a James Beard Award-winning cookbook author, cooking teacher, chef and television personality. After graduating from UMass Amherst with a major in art education and teaching fine arts in Boston, Weir spent years cooking in Berkeley, Calif., and France before being awarded her master chef certificate.
February 9th, 2007
DC News
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November 20th, 2006
Good catch: UMass leads in sustainable seafood effort
Ken Toong, director of dining services, was particularly pleased with the turnout. At the beginning of the fall semester, Toong and his staff switched out traditional fish (farm-raised salmon and Atlantic cod) and created a menu with more sustainable seafood options, such as wild salmon and Pacific cod. Although initially nervous that students would balk, Toong said the response had been positive.
October 30th, 2006
Thousands to Enjoy Live Lobster Feast Hosted on Halloween by UMass Amherst Dining Services
Dining Services at the University of Massachusetts Amherst will hold its fifth annual Halloween "Tricks, Treats ''n'' More" dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 31. All dining halls on campus will participate in treating 12,500 students to live lobster, clam chowder, strip steak and locally grown vegetables.
September 29th, 2006
UMass Amherst Dining Services To Participate in National Drive To Support Seafood Sustainability
Dining Services at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is participating in a national effort to support seafood sustainability. A kick-off event is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 28 and will include a lecture on sustainable seafood by alumnus Mark Lussier at 7 p.m. in the Berkshire Dining Commons.
August 30th, 2006
The renovated Berkshire Dining Commons aims to be a national showcase.
Ken Toong, Director of Dining Services at UMass Amherst is leading a tour of the newly renovated Berkshire Dining Commons in the Southwest residential area. When it opens in the first week of September, students will find a state-of-the-art dining facility that aims to be a national showcase.
June 2nd, 2006
UMass Amherst To Host "Tastes of The World" Chef Culinary Conference on Healthy Food And Flavor
The University of Massachusetts Amherst will continue its emphasis on promoting healthy food options by hosting this year''s 12th annual "Tastes of the World" Chef Culinary Conference on healthy food and flavor. The international gathering of campus food professionals will be held June 5-9 in the Campus Center and Hampshire Dining Commons, and includes a presentation by renowned chef Jacques Pepin.
May 11th, 2006
Dining Services at UMass Amherst Earn Second Place Award in National Food Services Competition
The National Association of College and University Food Services has announced that the UMass Amherst Dining Services received second place for the 2006 Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards in the multiple concepts category.
April 7th, 2006
UMass students get tasty treats
Andrea J. Greaney, a University of Massachusetts-Amherst junior from Agawam, sampled some freshly baked bread and ice cream before digging into a salmon caesar salad.
Her dinner would not end there. Not with more than 70 food booths awaiting her at the "Taste of UMass 2006."
February 17th, 2006
"A Taste of Japan" Comes to Worcester Dining Commons
"A Taste of Japan" Comes to Worcester Dining Commons at UMass Amherst on Feb. 15
February 9th, 2006
UMass Dining Services Becomes "A Local Hero"
UMass Dining Services Becomes "A Local Hero" By Supporting Western Mass. Produce Program
February 9th, 2006
UMass Amherst Mom Wins Recipe Contest
UMass Amherst Mom Wins Recipe Contest, will Feed Son and Classmates Curried Chicken with Apples
January 25th, 2006
Think Globally, Eat Locally
UMass Amherst Dining Services joins the farm-to-college movement
January 25th, 2006
Everything''s on the table
Not stopping with their wildly popular sushi and lobster nights, Dining Services replaced 85 percent of its menu for spring semester
