Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Trip to Buffalo! Week 5.

Today, I went to Buffalo with Jonna, the Executive Chef, and Lisa, an Assistant General Manager to do a couple of tours and talk about the needs of SUNY Geneseo with a variety of food providers.

I got to see the Stock Yards, or the meat processing plant for US Foods. It was unlike anything I've ever seen. Seeing the larger cuts in quantity getting broken down into what consumers see on their plate was fascinating!

Next, we headed to Costanzo's - where they make a lot of delicious bread products. The amount of products they are able to produce is astounding. The whole area smelled like freshly baked bread - one of my favorite smells. Then, we got to test out the product at a sub shop attached to the bakery - delish!

These tours were not only fun from a food-lover's perspective, but they were really informative. The challenges they face are some that I hadn't deeply considered before. The amount of thought that goes into food and keeping it consistent and safe is something I've really learned to appreciate.

After lunch, we headed to the US Food Division offices and met with the Director of Procurement, where Jonna and Lisa explained how SUNY Geneseo is always looking to try new things. It was great to see how the two sides were able to come to a mutual understanding of each other's needs, and oculd find a solution that worked well for everybody.

Then, we ended out day in the Buffalo area with a tour of the US Foods warehouse and wow - what an efficiently run place. It needs to be - the scale is large, and customers in the food business have certain needs an expectations that need to be met.

This was definitely a unique experience - one that will stick with me for a while!

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