Dining Services
Sustainability Initiatives
Local Meat and Produce
When feasible we purchase local produce and meat products within a 150 mile radius to our operation.
Misty Knolls Farms, New Haven VT
- Local free range chicken served within each of our dining outlets
- Turkey Burgers featured at Elements Café Grill
Ioka Farms, Hancock MA
- Beef Brisket served at our Smokehouse station at Elements Cafe
- Pulled Pork at our Smokehouse Station at Elements Café
Haywood Farms, Derby VT
- Ground Beef served at our Smokehouse Station at Elements Café
Red Tomato
- During the summer months we work with a non-profit organization, Red Tomato to assist us in sourcing local produce throughout New England. Every Wednesday at both Courtyard and Elements Café we feature a Farmers Market Table. The Market table offerings vary based on local availability.
Herb Garden
The garden was created in 2008 in partnership with The Growing Connection, a department of the Food & Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. The Growing Connection links people and cultures together that introduces low cost water efficient and sustainable methods for food growing. These herb boxes are grown exclusively for our café and catering operations use. Our typical planting includes Basil, Cilantro, Thyme, Rosemary and many other herbs. Additionally, each year we attempt to grow a couple different varieties of vegetables. Our Chefs are seen regularly cutting their own herbs to put into use in our kitchens.
Composting
Five years ago we started a pre-consumer composting program at each of our dining outlets solely composting the kitchen scraps that were produced in our operations. In April, 2010 with the help of the HMS Operations Department and the Office of Sustainability, we rolled out a Post-Consumer Composting program at Courtyard and Atrium Café. Cafes feature Compostable Food Containers and Cups Consumer separates their waste with the direction of the abundant signage at both locations informing guests of what items are intended for compost. Our program is on pace to compost over 40,000 lbs., double the amount of our compost prior to the program.