*** MEDIA ADVISORY ***

DATE:       Thursday, Nov. 3, 5–8 p.m.

WHAT:      UMass Dining, now celebrating its sixth straight year of earning Best Campus Food in America honors,
                  will celebrate the creation of plant-based menu items in partnership with Nestlé Professional
                  and plant-based soup company Wholesome Crave with a public tasting event.

WHERE:   UMass Amherst Worcester Commons, 667 N. Pleasant St., Amherst

The partnership between UMass Dining, Nestle Professional and Wholesome Crave, which was founded by four-time James Beard Award-winning chef Michel Nischan, aims to bring tasteful, plant-based options to colleges and universities globally. The partnership is in the incubator stage, creating scalable plant-based recipes and a playbook that can be followed by other college and university food service operations. The public tasting event will promote the health and environmental benefits of plant-based dining by introducing 11 new menu items to UMass Dining, including Bucatini Bolognese, Veggie Chili, Chik’n Quesadilla and a breakfast sausage sandwich. The event is open to the public ($17 at the door).