AbbeyGroup – Page 17 – The Abbey Group

What’s the deal with Garelick Farms?

We have recently switched brands of milk for all of our school accounts across Vermont, New York and New Hampshire from Hoods to Garelick Farms and some people are asking “so why the switch?”

Let’s start with a little back ground on both companies. Both Hoods and Garelick started in Massachusetts and have since expanded to national distribution. Hoods sells a variety of branded, private label, licensed and franchise products all around the country. Garelick was independently operated until 1997 when it was purchased by Dean Foods. Third generation owner of Garelick, Alan Bernon, is still the Chef Operating Officer for the Northeast Region Distribution. Both source milk from Vermont, New York and New Hampshire through basically the same milk distributor Dairy Marketing Services, to be regionally used around New England.

We decided it was a time for a change for a couple of reasons. The first being a matter of brand recognition with the TruMoo brand chocolate milk by Garelick. The TruMoo brand is committed to using no high fructose corn syrup and 35% less sugar than leading chocolate milk brands so you can feel good about feeding it to children on a daily basis.

The second reason is a matter of location and distribution. Even though both Hoods and Garelick are both from Massachusetts, Garelick uses a higher portion of Vermont farmer’s milk in their 8oz boxed milks. Due to this, we find this makes for a more centrally local product to be used in our school accounts, a practice that is very near to our hearts. Please see just how much milk is coming from Vermont in the attached photo.

Please visit the Garelick farms website for more information on this great dairy provider!

http://www.garelickfarms.com/

Written by AbbeyGroup on September 23, 2013. Posted in Announcements, Dishing Up Local, Education, Inside The Abbey Group

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First Time Kindergartners – Building Confidence in the Hot Lunch Line

We encourage parents to come and eat lunch with their child any time but if you can only make it to a single lunch during the year, we suggest going within the first week of school.

It is common practice for kindergarten teachers to walk the students to the cafeteria on the first day before lunch to go through the practice of getting milk, a tray, making choices in the line, and using their numbers or lunch cards. What this training lacks is the authenticity of the hustle and bustle of a school cafeteria at lunchtime.

For kindergartners, the cafeteria is one of the first places they are able to make decisions about what they eat and the people whom they sit next to. These decisions coupled with the volume of traffic and noise can be an overwhelming experience, causing some students to shy away from the main meal and go directly to an open seat.

With the help of a parent or guardian, you can help your child overcome fears and anxiety that many face during this time. When you’re there, it’s important to let your child know that they can let the serving staffs know what they would most like on their plate. We provide an “Offer vs. Serve” program, which means students only need to choose at least 4 items of what is being served, and what they take is up to them.

We like to do our part in easing the Kindergarten cafeteria transition by trying to develop a relationship with each and every student. This starts with friendly and helpful kitchen staffs who reach out to students by engaging them in taste tests, promotions, holiday meals, and other educational opportunities throughout the year.

We want to remind parents that they are always welcome and encouraged to join their students for breakfast or lunch and that lunch prices for students are all only around $2.00 for a nutritionally balanced meal with unlimited access to fruits and veggies.

Written by AbbeyGroup on September 3, 2013. Posted in Announcements, Dishing Up Local, Events, The Abbey Feeds, Uncategorized

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Check Out this Abbey Group Shout Out on the Bennington Banners in “Roses to”

This weekend, the Abbey group was given a “rose” for their collaborative efforts with the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union in providing free school breakfast for all district students during the first two weeks of the school year from Sept. 3rd to 13th. This is different than most programs in the state by allowing everyone free breakfast for that time instead of just the students who qualify for free and reduced meals.

Please visit the Bennington Banner link below for many great thanks given to area organizations.

http://www.benningtonbanner.com/editorials/ci_23930929/roses-project-that-puts-dolls-hands-children-need

BB article 8-24-2013

Written by AbbeyGroup on August 29, 2013. Posted in Abbey in the News, Announcements, Dishing Up Local, Inside The Abbey Group, The Abbey Feeds

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The Abbey Group Well Represented at St. Johnsbury. -WCAX News Story- New cookbook for Vt. cafeteria cuisine

The Vermont Education Agency and a group of local nonprofits have come together to create the first-of-it’s-kind cafeteria cookbook. Abbey Group directors and chefs were there in St. Johnsbury to help try out some of the recipes and pick up new ideas. Check out the WCAX link below for the full video, and quote from Abbey Chef Director Josephi Gerardi.

http://www.wcax.com/story/23140230/new-cookbook-for-vt-cafeteria-cuisine

New cookbook for Vt. cafeteria cuisine

Posted: Aug 14, 2013 6:53 PM EDTUpdated: Aug 16, 2013 5:00 PM EDT

By Alexei Rubenstein – bio | email

ST. JOHNSBURY, Vt. -Call it a boot camp for school cooks. Dozens of school cooks and food directors from across the state are spending the week in St. Johnsbury to pick up new ideas and refine their techniques.When Penny Goss of Bakersfield started in the school kitchen back in the 1960s, it was simpler time.

“Back then there were hardly any regulations, you just fed the kids,” Goss said. “You did homemade things and you fed them. And now there a lot of things; you have to follow the rules.”

This year, the Vermont Education Agency and a group of local nonprofits have teamed up to produce a first-of-its-kind cookbook with recipes by school cooks for school cooks. Some seasonal items on the menu– sautéed greens and beans, Magenta-root slaw and corn salad.

“What we were trying to strive for was a cookbook that anybody would pick up and say, ‘wow, pictures– they’re great; the food looks wonderful,’ and that it brings up the level of school meals in terms of yeah, this is a profession, these are real culinary skills we’re talking about,” said Abbie Nelson of Vermont FEED.

Back in the classroom, the cooks fine-tune some of the recipes that will make the final cut.

There was a backlash at some schools last year over the news federal standards, complaints that there wasn’t enough to eat or that even popular local foods didn’t meet the standards.

“A little tough, but it really turned out well. And I think as we go forward with this, it’s going to change a bit. Kids are more accepting of it. I think it was the high school kids in the beginning that were kind of not too receptive. The younger kids coming up, they don’t know any better. They’re going to be really just learning it as they go and they think that is the norm,” said Joseph Gerardi of Townshend.

New England Culinary Institute students helped test many of the new recipes.

“The volume that school food service directors have to provide, the limited budgets that they work with, the limited staff that they get to work with was really a revelation for my students and myself, as well,” said Jim Birmingham of NECI.

The new cookbooks will go out to every school this fall– an effort to share the love of cooking with kids across the state.

Written by AbbeyGroup on August 17, 2013. Posted in Abbey in the News, Dishing Up Local, The Abbey Feeds, Uncategorized, USDA, VT Department of Ed

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