We are thrilled to share that ten of our dining programs were honored for their hard work and culinary excellence in the NACUFS Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards. Celebrated every year, the Awards commemorate programs that go above and beyond in creative menu development, catering events, special event planning, and new dining concepts.

View post on imgur.com

A few highlights from our winning teams include:

Northeastern University | Silver in Outreach & Education Program of the Year

Northeastern Dining’s culinarians partnered with the Consulate General of Italy to cater The Mediterranean Diet Roundtable®, a celebration of Italian cuisine. Their chefs met with Chef Marisa Iocco to create a menu that included rigatoni alla Norma, trofie al pesto, and spaghettoni alla Nerano to take guests through a culinary journey of Italy.

Northeastern University | Honorable Mention in Wellness and Nutrition Program of the Year

Students at Northeastern look forward to weekly wellness tips from dietitian Gabby Cabacab, who uses NU Dining’s social media to share wellness and nutrition information that helps students make informed dining decisions. She informs over 10,000 followers about food labeling systems, vegan/vegetarian options, and nutritional information.

Babson College | Silver in Catering Special Event of the Year

To celebrate the Celebrate and Elevate event, Babson College turned to our catering team. The team celebrated the college’s legacy with a forest event theme inspired by Babson’s Newtonia Apple Tree Collection and served a menu of bulgogi beef tacos, vegan caponata, and more.

University of Florida | Silver in Residential Facility of the Year

The University of Florida dining team designed Cravings Culinary Kitchen using insights from their latest student survey, which showed that students desired more pho, noodle bowls, and Mexican cuisine, along with more customizable options. The dining team used these insights to design Cravings with stations built around the requested cuisines and created an Around the World station that offers custom-made rice bowls, salads, and burritos, which became their most popular station.

Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo | Silver in Retail Sales: Single Concept of the Year

Cal Poly’s team partnered with one of only three certified kosher food trucks in the country to bring traditional Jewish cuisine to campus. What’s Cookin’ Kosher served up items like chicken schnitzel pita sandwiches and falafel plates and counted roughly 66,000 thousand sales.

University of Houston | Silver in Residential Special Event of the Year

To honor Diwali, the dining team hosted a celebration with the Hindu YUVA Student Organization that captured the spirit of Southeast Asia. Guests could try food stall-inspired menu items like chaat and samosas and watch cultural showcases like Punjabi folk dances.

Catawba College | Bronze in Catering Special Event of the Year

To welcome students back to campus, the Catawba dining team hosted the Catawba College Luau with a menu reflecting authentic Polynesian flavors, such as poi, Kalua pig, huli huli chicken, and more.  The event served over 600 guests and was such a hit that the team plans to host it again.

University of Chicago | Bronze in Sustainability

In order to give back to neighboring communities and uplift women and minority-owned small businesses, the UChicago Dining team partnered with over 10 businesses in Teaching Kitchens, cultural events, and more. In addition, UChicago Dining allocates 30-40% of its purchasing to hyperlocal vendors per quarter.

• Lunar New Year Celebration | Asiana Foodville
• Black History Month Celebration | Chicago French Press, Everybody’s Busy, Red Bay Coffee
• Women’s History Month Celebration | Saucy Porka, Warrior Kombucha
• Eid al-Fitr | Wazwan, Chocolat Uzma
• Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration | Dang Good Wings
• Student Welcome Back | Danie’s Natural Juices, Shawn Michelle’s Homemade Ice Cream, Soul & Smoke
• Hispanic Heritage Month | Polombia, Dope Drip Café
• LGBTQ+ History Month | Taylor’s Taco
• Native American Heritage Month | Ketapanen Kitchen
• Diwali | South Asian Student Association | The Coach House by Wazwan

University of Utah | Bronze in Wellness and Nutrition Program of the Year

Students at the University of Utah can visit the FYUL station at their dining hall to try health-focused bowls and develop life-long eating habits. The station includes information on health benefits, like immunity boosting or protein-packed, to ensure that the bowls are an educational tool.

University of Arkansas | Honorable Mention in Catering Special Event of the Year

In partnership with the Fayetteville Public Library, the University of Arkansas team catered Reading the Greens, an event that fundraised for the library and showcased the library’s recent mini golf expansion. The caterers themed the event as a mini golf paradise and served ahi tuna wontons, beef roulade, and more.

We’re also thrilled to celebrate wins from Gourmet Dining, a sister sector of Compass Group:

• Stevens Institute of Technology | Bronze for Retail Sales: Single Concept of the Year
• Stevens Institute of Technology | Silver for Resident Dining Facility of the Year
• Marywood University | Gold for Catering Special Event
• Marist | Bronze for Catering Special Event of the Year
• Marist | Bronze for Outreach and Education Program of the Year
• Montclair State University | Bronze for Outreach and Education Program of the Year
• Montclair State University | Honorable Mention for Catering Special Event
• Montclair State University | Silver for Resident Dining Facility of the Year
• Montclair State University | Silver for Innovative Dining Program of the Year
• Rider University | Silver for Resident Dining Facility of the Year
• Monmouth University | Silver for Residential Special Event of the Year