University of Wyoming Week 2

Josh and I wrapped up Week 1 with several new experiences. We spent our second day in the catering kitchen with the executive chef. While I wish I could say we cooked some new and delicious foods, we did not. That will have to wait until early July. We did however explore the lay out of the kitchen and reviewed the various areas in the kitchen that require special attention to HAACP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points). We learned that every successful kitchen is continuously aware of the cooking, storage, and traveling temperatures of foods being produced and delivered to the organization. Appropriately scheduled with our discussion of HAACP, the city health inspector, Mary Murrieta, walked us through a typical inspection of the facility. While the health inspector is often a position many institutions and organizations are weary of, we learned that it only proves beneficial to maintain a great relationship with them and keep all lines of communication open. The University of Wyoming has built that relationship with Mary. She explained to us that every business and operation has strengths and weaknesses. She made helpful suggestions to the managers on hand which were received graciously. We learned about the various techniques to be implemented in preventing pests such as mice from entering and sabotaging a food service operation as well as the very simple steps employees can take to ensure the longevity of a safe and clean work environment. Proper rotation of inventory, safety data sheets, critical control points, and flow of the kitchen operation were just a few of the topics discussed in our meeting.

A helpful reminder by the sink. Take the time.

One of the most important supplies in the kitchen: Gloves

After our inspection with Mary, we were given the opportunity to work in the campus garden with Amy, turning the soil to plant new vegetables. We planted a wide variety including carrots, lettuce, onions, cherry tomatoes, and green beans. The vegetables planted will be harvested to be eaten however the garden does not necessarily serve as a source of profit for the university. It serves rather as a learning tool for nutrition and agriculture majors and interns such as myself. At 7200ft elevation, the sun felt just a little hotter than my home in Pennsylvania at 39ft above sea level!

Life's a garden. Dig it.

Once the garden was leveled, seeds planted, and the irrigation hoses were in place, we moved inside to begin our training video project with Suzy, the training specialist. Video topics included customer service, personal hygiene (one of the leading determinants of food-born illness), and the absentee and time card policies. We took a more creative approach to these videos by incorporating various television and movie themes to engage the employee audience. Overall we had a blast!

As we entered week two we began to dive deep behind the scenes of what it really takes to ensure a smooth dining experience at all locations on campus. We met with Janet Wilson, Senior Buyer for Procurement, and discusses the bidding process involved when ordering new equipment. When a Request For Bid or Request For Proposal form goes out, it is favorable to seek three vendors at a minimum to bid. With more vendors to choose from, the university has a variety of options to consider and choose from. There is an in state preference for vendors, however selecting the most cost effective vendor for the equipment or service provided to meet or exceed the operation's needs is the ultimate goal

In my opinion the most interesting part of the day was meeting with Richard from maintenance. When I thought of food-service operations in the past, maintenance was not high on the list of key components. How wrong I was. The maintenance department of large operations such as a university is often thought to be a reactive force in repairing or maintaining equipment or machinery. For example, changing light bulbs. One can quickly realize over a two hour conversation with Richard, this assumption could not be further from the truth. The department at the University of Wyoming focuses on being proactive in their approach. Upon Richards arrival here, he has aimed his energy towards nipping problems in the bud before they escalate. Equipment used to run the food-service operation such as tilt kettles, ovens, fryers, freezers, and stoves doesn't last forever. Kitchen equipment and machinery often have very time-sensitive life cycles. One of the maintenance dept.'s main duties to stay on top of these and repair the little problems that arise, rather than wait for compressor to fail and lose thousands of dollars in product. Without maintenance the flow of operations would be drastically altered.

In the heart of the operation

Stay tuned for the rest of this week!

Chris