Trent Food Services works hard to celebrate local food on campus every day and continues to lead the way in sustainability. This work has once again been recognized in Chartwells 2020 “Local Harvest – Thank You Canada Coast-to-Coast” competition – the third year in a row that Trent has won.

As a winner, Trent Food Services received $500 to pay forward to a charity of their choice in the community. They chose to donate their wins to the YWCA Nourish Program, which combines access to nutritious food with gardening and cooking skills to empower individuals to advocate for themselves and grow a just food system for all.

"Our staff continue to innovate in the ways we showcase the great local food we have in our area," notes Mark Murdoch, director, Trent University Foodservices. "We’re honoured to pay forward the prize money to the YWCA Nourish Program for all of the incredible work they do in our community." 

The Chartwells “Be a Local Hero” competition judged teams on their ability to be creative with locally produced foods through unique recipes, engaging activities, student involvement and displays. Here at Trent, the community continues to value local and sustainable food options on campus, and the team delivers with bounty from nearby rural communities continuing to increase in abundance on menus across the campus.

Some of the initiatives undertaken by the team included the grand opening of Bata Bean featuring local Baden Coffee, a Thanksgiving family dinner in Lady Eaton College, a Mac ‘N’ Cheese Throwdown showcasing Kawartha Dairy and Empire Cheese, a pumpkin guessing competition with a local pumpkin, and a local vegetable sampling with Martin’s Fruit & Vegetable Farm.

Learn more about dining at Trent University.