I had the pleasure of attending The National Association of College & University Food Service Conference (NACUFS) in Denver, CO for the first time this year, and I can say it was one the most innovative eco-friendly shows I’ve ever been to. The showcase floor was filled with nutritional goodies, allergy friendly foods, and machine applications that make perfectly rolled sushi look as though it was individually made.
Some highlights … include:
88 Acres’ wide range of products. This isn’t your conventional granola bar. I was truly impressed by the assortment of bars, butters, and other seeded snacks, including Roasted Watermelon Seed Butter! The taste isn’t what you would expect.
Who could miss Tyson’s mascot Buddy which was standing guard of their Nashville Hot Wings and other chicken delights. I received a tour of all their great new products including the Instant GRABification fridge, where you can have breakfast anytime, anywhere.
DazBog Coffee … If you think Russians make strong vodka, you should try their coffee! Created by two Russian immigrants, now distributed in Denver, CO, this was some of the best coffee I’ve ever had.
Then on to the caffeinated chocolate … yes, two favorites combined into one bite-sized snack. AWAKE Chocolate in its various flavors is equivalent to a half a cup of joe!
Here are a few other products that caught my eye:
Sugar Creek gelato from Honey Hill Farms
Delicious smoothies from Dole
Sushi!
Beautiful grains from InHarvest
Off the showfloor, NACUFS announced the recipient of the 2019 David R. Prentkowski Distinguished Lifetime member award. The Distinguished Lifetime Member Award honors individuals retired from a college or university foodservice leadership position or a position that has supported the betterment of college and university foodservices. Patti Klos, past president of NACUFS (2017-2018), presented the award to Art Korandanis, recently retired from College of the Holy Cross.
Additionally, Patrick McBride from Wild Planet Foods was the recipient for the 2019 Daryl Van Hook Industry Award, an award presented annually to an industry member, either an individual or organization, based on outstanding support to the association.
As always, NACUFS did not disappoint. Next year’s conference will be held in Atlanta, GA July 8 to 11, 2020.
Interested in Catersource 2020? Click here for more information!
