Winthrop Dining Services recently received a high ranking from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
This semester has marked the return of new reusable to-go boxes and broader food options for students who are vegan at Winthrop University. While that might not call for celebration personally, it does for Winthrop’s Dining Services.
On National Vegan Day, Nov. 1, PETA awarded an A+ rating to Winthrop Dining Services. The award was given as a result of dining services having more food options for students and creating a more sustainable environment.
The dining services were rated highly thanks to student surveys and providing a menu with new entrees and desserts for vegans.
“We know there is a growing vegan community on campus and we continue to work towards program expansion so that these customers have a diverse food service offer,” said Bryan Harriss, general manager of Winthrop’s dining services.
Bill Hofmann, head chef of Winthrop’s dining services, received training to provide a better quality to the new vegan and vegetarian food options.
“This is really good for us because our vegan offerings have been a focus for us from the start,” Hofmann said. “Last year, our first year on campus, we received a “B”. I had received the PETA training the year before and wanted to bring up our focus and quality to the vegan/vegetarian stations. We have seen a noticeable growth in this segment and to hear all the positive comments from students has made our efforts well worth [it].”
Winthrop Dining Services also hosts events based on student feedback to improve the experience with dining services.
“Student feedback is always important for us. We want to hear from students when they have had great dining experiences and also when they feel their experiences could have been better,” Harriss said. “Timely feedback allows our management team to respond to customer concerns enabling us to adapt our program where needed.”
With new items like the impossible burger, Winthrop Dining Services wants to expand more options for students next semester.
“[The next step for us is to] continue to grow our offerings campus wide, working with our regional dietitian to identify more approved recipes, and show our students that there are many choices to pick from on our campus,” Hofmann said.
A challenge that the dining services face is the fluctuating dining habits of new or returning students, but has allowed them to be more creative with coming up with new options in Thomson.
“We don’t always know who the vegan customers are but those who we have relationships with have been very positive. We have just added some new vegan dessert options to our menu, and we have received great feedback on this,” Harriss said.
Although this is only the second year of Sodexo working with dining services on campus, Winthrop students have responded positively to the quality of the food.
“This is our second year on campus and our team is committed to offer good food that students want to eat no matter what their food choices may be,” Hofmann said. “To have 100% student satisfaction means that we have listened and exceeded their expectations. Our team can celebrate their hard work and [the] love they put into each dish.”
Students will expect to see more options available on campus and Winthrop Dining Services are willing and ready to listen to student feedback.
“We appreciate the opportunity to share and communicate information about our dining services programs,” Harriss said.
For more information about Winthrop Dining Services follow their instagram @winthropdining1 or visit their website at https://winthrop.sodexomyway.com.
Graphic: Mars Hogue/ The Johnsonian
