COVER STORY
ly has that crispy top and fudgy inside.” Flavor and texture were very impor- tant to Simmons who said that at first, the products weren’t turning out quite right, and worse, she thought they were terrible. But she didn’t give up and kept working on it. “I wanted it to be good. Not only for me and the people who had allergies, but the people who didn’t,” she said. “When you are the one with the allergy, you get something different. So, if we can all eat it together, I could feel as though it was an inclusive experience.” And that is exactly what Simmons has since accomplished—she has created allergen-free baking mixes that are so good, even diners without allergies are drawn to them, allowing for this inclu- sive environment. At the University of Maryland, the dining team operates two allergen-free stations, dubbed Purple Zones, and some of The Pink Bakery’s products can be found at those locations. Right now, the lineup includes brownies, banana bread and biscuits. Bart Hipple, assistant director of mar- keting and communications for the uni- versity’s dining services, said that stu- dents love The Pink Bakery’s products, as well as the university’s allergy-friend- ly offerings, regardless of whether they have a food allergy themselves or not. “People are eating from the Purple Zones who do not have allergies,” he said. “It’s good food, whether it’s an al- lergen or not. It tastes very good.” CREATING AN INCLUSIVE DINING EXPERIENCE Aside from ensuring the safety of din- ers with food allergies, inclusivity is the driving force behind the Universi- ty of Maryland’s allergy-friendly offer- ings. And it goes beyond just serving a well-rounded variety of food free of the top allergens and is even showcased through the messaging around the food. “One word we do not use in Maryland Dining is the word option, because it is not an allergen-free option for the peo- ple who have allergies. It’s the way they
eat,” said Hipple. “We don’t want you to feel as though you are a minority. This is where you live, this is where you eat.” The dining team at the University of Maryland doesn’t want students with food allergies to feel as though the food they are served is just an alternative “option” but instead that they’re given the same dining experience as those without food allergies. So, it’s important for the allergen-free meals and desserts to be as full of as much flavor as the food that contain allergens. “We are their main source of nutri- tion and the food, therefore, it cannot be boring, it cannot be monotonous,” said Hipple. “It has to have a variety of really good sparkling flavors. And it’s got to be something they want to eat. And it we feel that that is our mission to provide that.” Marquette University, another part- ner of The Pink Bakery, which also re- cently became “Spokin Verified,” a pro - cess done by Spokin, a tech company that runs a food allergy app and provides other resources for colleges regarding al- lergen-free food, and also centers inclu- sivity through its allergen-free offerings. “It’s part of our mission to have the most inclusive dining experience. And so really this is just creating the larger sense of belonging,” said Melanie Vi- anes, general manager for Sodexo at Marquette Dining. “Our whole program
“I wanted to create a brownie that actually looks like a brownie, didn’t have weird textures, make sure it doesn’t taste like cardboard.” Nubian Simmons, The Pink Bakery
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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PINK BAKERY
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