BSD Nutrition Services recently hosted 19 individuals from the Chef Ann Foundation’s Operations team at the district’s Central Kitchen. The Chef Ann Foundation, a nationwide non-profit, is on a mission to transform school food systems by promoting healthier, scratch-cooked meals and advocating for better food policies. The Chef Ann team traveled to the northwest from across the county. While in the area, they also visited Seattle and Everett school districts.

Inside BSD’s Central Kitchen  

Did you know that Nutrition Services has a central kitchen? When Tillicum Middle School reopened for the 2018-2019 school year, it was built with two separate kitchens. One kitchen services the school’s breakfast and lunch program, while the second kitchen was designed as a central kitchen. The Central Kitchen has fully modern walk-in coolers and freezers, commercial ovens, kettles and even a blast chiller! When the Central Kitchen opened, Nutrition Services primarily utilized it for its catering program, which provided food and beverages for the district’s preschools, family nights and various events throughout the year. However, after disruptions to the program following the pandemic, the department needed to reimagine the use of the Central Kitchen.  

On the Menu: Scratch-Cooked Meals and Local Ingredients 

In the summer of 2023, Nutrition Services — led by its Director Wendy Weyer and her administrative team — developed plans to repurpose the space to support all Bellevue schools with scratch-prepared menu items. Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, Central Kitchen Manager, Tamra Beck, and a team of kitchen assistants arrive early each morning to make thousands of sunbutter and jelly sandwiches and hand-wrapped bean and cheese burritos for daily lunch offerings. The team also created a scratch-made base for schools to prepare butter sauce onsite for the featured butter chicken and chickpea menu. With the success of these items, the Central Kitchen’s production has expanded to include scratch-made beef birria, salmon burgers and custom spice packets for homemade two-bean chili.  

The transition to centralized production has allowed Nutrition Services to expand their Farm to School program as well! Tortillas made with Washington-grown flour are used for the hand-wrapped burritos. Washington-raised beef is transformed into beef birria. The newest addition is local salmon from the Muckleshoot Tribe that is hand pattied into salmon burgers! 

Learn More About BSD Nutrition Services 

Want to learn more? Check out the Nutrition Services menus webpage, where you can read more about local food sourcing efforts, plant-based menu offerings, and even the introduction of hydroponically grown lettuce from the Environmental Sustainability class at Interlake High School!