UMass Dining Services Wins National Award
University cafeteria food is rarely considered award-winning, but Ken Toong, executive director of UMass Dining is changing that in UMass Amherst dining halls. The efforts of Ken and his staff were rewarded in March when UMass Amherst Dining Services won the highly-coveted Ivy Award. The Award is a lifetime achievement award distributed by “Restaurants and Institutions” magazine. Begun in 1971, the award aims to recognize outstanding achievement and a commitment to excellence by foodservice operations. The University’s recognition comes for the institution’s dedication to purchasing fresh, local foods, integration of world cuisine into the menu, and using innovative approaches to serving five million meals each year. A March 25th article in the Daily Hampshire Gazette noted that about twenty percent of UMass produce served at the dining commons is delivered to the university from farms within a 50-mile radius. The University Dining Services will be inducted into the Ivy Society in May.
