Saint Martin’s University’s eat local challenge stimulates appetites and local economies

September 23, 2009

Lacey, Washington – On Tuesday, September 29, Saint Martin’s University will be participating in the 2009 “Eat Local Challenge,” hosted by its new food service provider, Bon Appétit Management Company. The challenge, which will take place in 400 Bon Appétit cafés all over the country, will feature a delicious lunch, including dessert, that is made entirely from local ingredients. The challenge highlights the chefs’ creativity, educates diners about their local, seasonal bounty, and supports family farms during these difficult times.

All ingredients for this meal will come from within 150 miles of Saint Martin’s, with salt as the only exception. All faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to participate. The lunch menu, which will be available at Saint Martin’s St. Gertrude Dining Hall, will include organic produce from Boistfort Valley Farm (Curtis, Washington), organic chicken from Oakland Bay Farm (Shelton, Washington), and wild salmon from Lummi Island Wild. Vegetarian and vegan items will also be available. Representatives from the local farms will be in the dining room to answer questions.

While the “Eat Local Challenge” comes only once each year, Bon Appétit sources ingredients locally all year round. The company’s decade old Farm to Fork program requires that a minimum of 20% of all ingredients used in the cafés comes from the surrounding area.

For more information please contact Saint Martin's University Dining Services General Manager Mark Manley at 360-438-4562 or mark.manley@stmartin.edu.

About Saint Martin’s:
Saint Martin’s University is an independent four-year, Catholic, coeducational university located on a 380-acre wooded campus in Lacey, Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic Order of Saint Benedict, the University is one of 18 Benedictine colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and the only one west of the Rocky Mountains. Saint Martin’s University prepares students for successful lives through its 21 majors and six graduate programs spanning the liberal arts, business, education and engineering. Saint Martin’s welcomes 1,250 student from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its main campus, and 650 more to its five extension campuses located at Fort Lewis Army Post, McChord Air Force Base, Olympic College, Centralia College, and Tacoma Community College.

About Bon Appétit:
Bon Appétit Management Company is an onsite restaurant company offering full food service management to universities, corporations, and specialty venues. A pioneer in environmentally-sound sourcing policies, Bon Appétit has developed programs with Environmental Defense, the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch, the Humane Society of the United States, and other leading conservation organizations. Bon Appétit has more than 400 cafés in 30 states. Bon Appétit became Saint Martin’s new food service provider this past summer.

For additional information:

Mark Manley
General manager
Saint Martin's University Dining Services
360-438-4562
mark.manley@stmartin.edu

Genevieve Canceko Chan
Director of Communications & Marketing
360-438-4332
gchan@stmartin.edu
www.stmartin.edu