UGSRP is proud to host it’s first National Panel Discussion on Sustainability in Canadian Foodservice this Wednesday, October 26th from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm in room 1714 of the Lifetime Learning Centre OVC Building.
Here is are some bios of the panelists speaking:
Chris Roberts, Director of Corporate Citizenship, Sodexo Canada
With a lifetime of experience in the restaurant and food service business, Chris Roberts joined Sodexo in 2007 and became Sodexo Canada’s Director of Corporate Citizenship in June 2010. In his role he is tasked with the responsibility of developing, implementing and communicating corporate citizenship and sustainability initiatives for more than 240 sites across Canada. Driving Sodexo’s socially responsible Better Tomorrow Plan in Canada has gained the recognitions of one of Canada’s Top 50 Greenest Employers and with Food Service & Hospitality magazines Green Leadership award. Mr. Roberts was the driving force in Sodexo Canada’s Sustainable Seafood policy. He has spoken before the Canadian Government on Sodexo’s initiatives around fighting hunger and obesity in children and before the World Health Organization on strategies for reducing sodium in Canadian diets.
Brad Long, Chef and Restaurateur, Cafe Belong at Evergreen Brickworks
Chef Long has prepared meals for some of the world’s most discriminating diners, Canada’s corporate elite, political heavyweights, international celebrities and professional athletes. His culinary talent has been recognized by some of Canada’s toughest food critics and his big personality brought to bear as co-host of the Food Network & HGTV smash Restaurant Makeover.
Opening Toronto’s Air Canada Centre & BMO Field, Long worked 10 years for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. The launch of 360 The Restaurant at the CN Tower followed five years at Toronto’s seminal Pronto Ristorante.
Currently, Long is opening Café Belong at Evergreen Brick Works and renovating King East’s Veritas. When he isn’t providing culinary leadership, creating menus, tasting sauces, speaking with farmers and foragers or checking the freshness of new produce, he relishes family time with his wife Sheryl (also an experienced chef) and his five young children.
Doug Feltmate, President of Designed Food Systems
Doug is the founder of Designed Food Systems and is a graduate of the Algonquin’s School of Hospitality and Hotel Management. He carries the highest Professional designation of the Food Service Consultants Society International. He currently Chairs the Board of The FCSI Canadian Chapter and represents Canadian interests at FCSI Americas.
Doug’s areas of specialization include food service planning and design for sports and entertainment complexes, employee/student dining facilities and fine dining. He is also particularly skilled in working with the project team to help achieve LEED compliance through innovative solutions related to food service facility design and operations. DFS takes sustainable design to all their projects and treats it as the norm and not a trend or a fad and understand that sustainable design is necessity to our survival. This expertise formed a critical component in the groundbreaking design of the House of Commons Production Kitchen and the Ottawa Convention Centre Redevelopment Project.
Clients include major universities across Canada and the USA and companies such as RIM, Dell, Ericsson, Cisco, Hyatt Hotels, Sun Hotels, Kerzner Hotels, Canada Post, CAE, Humana Lifesync, to name a few as well as several NCAA and professional sporting facilities. He is experienced with both design build construction as well as architect led projects and is renowned for his collaborative approach leading to an on-time, on-budget project through innovative technologies and knowledge based solutions.
Bob Desautels, Restaurateur and President of Neighbourhood Group of Companies
A local Guelphite, Bob is a graduate of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and has obtained a Masters of Arts both from the University of Guelph. Bob’s professional career has included six years in club management, playing golf professionally during the late 70’s, teaching at the University of Guelph in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, and also began his involvement with environmental initiatives in the early 1980’s as one of the founding members of Canada’s Green Party. He also has years of experience working with his own restaurant company, the Neighbourhood Group of Restaurants (NGC).
The company currently has a pub and restaurant located in Guelph ON, the Woolwich Arms Pub and Borealis Grillhouse and Pub. A second Borealis has opened in Kitchener, ON. The groups focus with each location has always been on supporting the local community and businesses by buying local product as well as environmental initiatives such as solar panels for water heating. NGC actually became the first chain to fully endorse and buy beers from Ontario’s burgeoning microbrewers and they expanded it’s emphasis on locally-crafted food and beverages to include it’s own ‘Taste of Ontario’ signature line.
Janine Bolton, President of Leaders in Environmentally Accountable Foodservice (LEAF)
Janine Bolton is President and Founder of LEAF, Leaders in Environmentally Accountable Foodservice, a nation-wide organization that is dedicated to helping the foodservice industry reduce its environmental impact, and make it easy for diners to identify truly “green” restaurants with third-party certification. Janine is originally from Vancouver Island, BC, and currently resides in Calgary, Alberta, where she is involved in various sustainability initiatives. Janine holds a bachelors degree in nutritional sciences and is a Registered Dietitian with the College of Dietitians of Alberta.
With the diverse group of panelists, Wednesday’s event will be both educational and exciting to watch. There will be an opportunity for questions from the audience as well and a reception at PJ’s Restaurant afterwards for a meet and greet with the panelists. We hope to see you all there! No RSVP required.
University of Guelph Sustainable Restaurant Project 