Watson’s Eatery is excited to announce it is now home to a new food service provider, as St. Paul’s University College has started a partnership with Brown’s Fine Food Services on April 29, 2021, for a three-year term.
The partnership prioritizes food quality, sustainability, and sourcing as many local ingredients as possible, and it will also transition residence meal plans to an all-you-can-eat style menu.
“We are committed to offering an exceptional student experience and that means providing our students with the best quality of food and food options on campus,” said Richard Myers, principal. “The decision to choose Brown’s after a long-standing partnership of nearly 60 years, was not something that the College came to lightly.”
Before the new partnership, the College had used Chartwells (formerly Beaver Foods) since the College opened its doors in 1963 as the food service provider. The decision of choosing Brown’s came after over a year of extensive consultation with staff, students, and the Board of Governors.
While the official launch came rather quickly, the staff at Chartwells made for an extremely seamless transition. As a part of the transition, the community will also recognize some familiar faces at the Eatery, as much of Chartwells staff will be remaining with Brown’s at the College.
“Some of our favourite things about Brown’s are its goals to provide consistently fresh, healthy and sustainable menu options, while also being flexible to adapt menu options to student tastes,” said Stephanie Horsburgh, conference and guest experience manager. “They have also shown a strong willingness to support College traditions like Toast Time and have committed to hiring Indigenous employees.”
To ensure the best possible foodservice experience, a feedback wall will be installed in the Eatery. Students will be able to pin anonymous comments and questions about their dining experience on the wall and receive a response within 24 hours. A student ombudsperson will also be appointed to act as a liaison between all stakeholders to solicit unbiased feedback on the food services for any issues that may arise.
To support menu option variety for student tastes, pop-ups from local Kitchener-Waterloo restaurants and popular chains such as Booster Juice, Pita Pit and Ah-So Sushi will also be brought into the Eatery throughout the year.
“St. Paul’s would like to thank Chartwells for their partnership over the past 58 years,” said Myers. “We would like to acknowledge and thank the head chef Vince and his dedicated team for their commitment to the College community.”
For more information on the new dining services and menus, please visit Food and Services.