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Chef Jose Talabucon, prepares sushi for Culinary Services in Marquis Hall
Serving up local fare and developing
the student experience in Culinary Services
BY REBECCA MEADEN
here is a movement going on in food
culture at the University of Saskatchewan.
No longer is food viewed solely as a mere
necessity, something students need just
to get through a long day of attending
classes. Instead, in Culinary Services, food
is seen as an opportunity. It is a way to
engage and educate students. It is a way to
make connections and build relationships
on campus and in the community. And
yes, it is a way to provide the nourishment
that students need, as well as the service
that allows them to spend more time on
their studies or with their friends.
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US MAGAZINE, UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN
Marquis Hall, the centre of Culinary
Services’ operations, is continuing to
raise the bar when it comes to exploring
new opportunities. From the institutional
buffet lines and closed-door kitchens
of the past to the prepared-on-demand
cuisine and enhanced student experience
that is available today, Marquis Hall has
undergone a complete renaissance and
James McFarland, Culinary Services’
Assistant Director and Executive Chef, has
seen many of these changes take place.
“Before, it was ‘you come, you eat, you
leave, and it served its purpose,” he says,
“but I think there’s a lot more we can
offer, not only to students but to the whole
campus community.”
One of the ways Culinary Services has
upped its game, metaphorically speaking,
is by seeking out fresh, local products to
add to its already diverse and dynamic
menu. “When we first approached it,”
states McFarland, “it seemed like an
impossible task. I’d go down to the
farmer’s market to talk to producers but
as soon as I talked about the volume we
needed, we never got anywhere, so it was
a little discouraging. What we’ve figured
out, though, is to try to do it in pieces. If
you can’t offer beef from Benlock Farms
for every beef dish on the entire menu,
maybe you can feature it a couple of times
during the week.”
In addition to bringing in products
like Benlock Farms beef for entrees and
feature dishes, Culinary Services also
sources several other commodities from
Saskatchewan producers, including
products like camelina oil, potatoes
and other root vegetables, and grains,
such as chickpeas, lentils and quinoa.
“Even something as small as honey,” says
McFarland. “I just found a local honey
producer here in September. She drops
off pails of honey and that’s all we use for
cooking and serving out front.”
Some products are easy to access
year round, ensuring that Marquis
Hall can continue to offer these items
in its menu rotation throughout the
school year. Others are only available
seasonally, though the chefs at Marquis
Hall try to exploit these when they can.
In September, for example, when a
crop of strawberries became available,
Marquis Hall had “strawberry week”,
incorporating them into the salad bar, the
desserts, even a strawberry and asparagus
pizza with balsamic glaze. “That’s the
beauty of how we’re set up now,” explains
McFarland. “We have our core menu but
nothing’s really set in stone.”
McFarland is even making progress
bringing in food grown right here
on campus. In the past, McFarland
has purchased produce grown by the
Horticulture Club and recently brought
in haskap berries and sour cherries from
the Department of Plant Sciences in the
College of Agriculture and Bioresources.
Next, he says, will be trying to get milk
products from the newly opened Rayner
Dairy Research and Training Facility.
“The opportunities on campus are huge,”
he says. “It’s just trying to connect all the
silos. But hopefully that’s going to come.”
There are a couple of challenges with
bringing in high-quality, local goods,
however; one of which is the increased cost.
“In restaurants, this would be something
passed on to the customer,” he explains.
“But since our price is preset, we have to
figure out where we can make it work.”
One of the ways this is possible is
because of Marquis Hall’s move toward
tray-less dining. “Each tray that we
washed used about 1/3 of a gallon of
water, not to mention the chemical that
was used, so there’s energy savings there,”
he affirms. “But I think the biggest
payback in my opinion is the reduction
of waste. A lot of times, everyone eats
with their eyes. They load up the old tray
and a lot of it ended up back on the dish
belt.” By moving to tray-less dining and
reducing that waste, explains McFarland,
Culinary Services can turn those savings
around to the students and can keep
prices down while being able to bring in
high-quality products that would have
been unheard of prior to these initiatives.
When asked which menu items are
most popular with students, it’s hard to
come up with an answer, not because it’s
hard to think of anything but because
rolls. Ethnic food has really taken off, in
general, according to McFarland; dishes
such as Penang curry and Ethiopian
vegetable stew are identified as regular
favourites. McFarland credits this to
students’ evolving tastes. “They travel
more. They’re exposed to more on TV.
Even 10 years ago, there was this mentality
on campus like, ‘You’re going to try to sell
sushi?! We’re in Saskatchewan, in meat and
potato country.’ It just drove me nuts,” he
says. “But it’s taken off like crazy. I mean,
turkey day is still one of our biggest days but
students’ tastes have certainly expanded.”
"We want to build a
sense of place here
so that it's not just
a place to come
and eat, but come
and experience."
–James McFarland,
Executive Chef James McFarland oversees the
preparation of 2,400 meals by Culinary Servies in
Marquis Hall each day.
there are so many popular dishes. “Steak
night is a big one,” says McFarland.
“Sushi is also huge. We make sushi every
Wednesday and we have some great talent
in the kitchen that do an amazing job on
that.” Other popular options include the
mac-and-cheese bar where customers can
choose their own toppings, and pizza,
which is offered every day, sometimes with
traditional toppings and sometimes with
more exotic options, like the strawberry
and asparagus pizza mentioned earlier.
Staff also enjoy preparing for weeks
where menu items are developed around
a common theme, such as the street food
week that is usually held in the spring. “We
try to bring in as much authentic food as
we can,” says McFarland, who lists some of
the items that will be offered this year as
Korean tacos, schwarma, and Vietnamese
Another way that Culinary Services has
worked to elevate the student experience
is by offering cooking classes and holding
contests, such as this winter’s Student Iron
Chef competition. The idea behind it is
to have students prepare a meal for the
judges, whether it’s one of their moms’
best dishes, a new creation, or a cultural
favourite. Students have also been taken
“behind the scenes” in Culinary Services
for some of their classes, participating in
part of the service’s operations as part of a
student project.
“We want to build a sense of place
here so that it’s not just a place to come
and eat, but come and experience,” says
McFarland. “It’s exciting. There’s no
shortage of new ideas you can try. Though
the focus may change, there’s a common
inspiration of food and creativeness.”■
SPRING 2014
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