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OPERATOR AWARD FINALISTS
What innovative recipe, process, practice, or technology, are you currently taking advantage of with success in your program?
Citrus County Schools Citrus County, Florida
We launched “Restaurant Inspirations” this school year with great success! The excitement it created in the cafeterias was truly appreciated by our School Faculty and Administration. We made a point highlighting restaurants within our community, brand names that students would recognize, recipes/menu items that are signature items within the restaurant and of course ease of duplicating and serving the signature items. One of the local restaurants we spotlighted was ”Sonny’s BBQ”. Sonny’s Corporate sent several Pit Masters to help serve our students. To say students were thrilled would be an under- statement. Working with our local Business Partners helps to market not only our School Nutrition Program, but their establishment as well. It emphasizes to our community that we are “Not Your Momma’s School Food Service!
District of Columbia Public Schools Washington, D.C.
I’d like to introduce you to Chef Brazil Murphy, Executive Chef for DC Public Schools (DCPS), who is bringing a fresh focus on flavor, presentation, and student engage- ment across the district. DC Public Schools (DCPS) has a long-standing commitment to providing healthy, high-quality meals that support students’ learning and well-being. Chef Brazil Mur- phy, with over 22 years of culinary experience and two years at DCPS, is helping to build on that strong foundation. Working alongside dedicated food service profes- sionals, he focuses on enhancing meal quality while keeping preparation practical for school cafeterias. By collaborating with school kitchen teams, Chef Murphy ensures that students receive nutritious, flavorful, and visually appealing meals—encouraging greater participation in school breakfast and lunch programs. Murphy’s journey—from The Art Institute of Philadelphia to leadership roles in col- lege dining, his own business, and now DCPS—has shaped his student-first approach to school food. He is also deeply committed to mentoring kitchen teams and young aspiring chefs, ensuring that school meals continue to evolve in both taste and nutri- tional value while investing in the next generation of local culinary professionals.
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