Potier, Beth

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University of New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire Scholars' RepositoryMedia Relations Administrative Offices9-18-2008UNH Reopens Celebrated Dairy Bar With FocusOn Local, Sustainable FoodBeth PotierUNH Media RelationsFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/newsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It hasbeen accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For moreinformation, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.Recommended CitationPotier, Beth, "UNH Reopens Celebrated Dairy Bar With Focus On Local, Sustainable Food" (2008). UNH Today. 533.https://scholars.unh.edu/news/533UNH Reopens Celebrated Dairy Bar With Focus on Local, Sustainable Foodhttp://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2008/sept/bp18dairy.cfm.html[9/12/2016 1:23:09 PM] UNH Reopens Celebrated Dairy Bar With Focus On Local,Sustainable FoodMedia Contact:  Beth Potier 603-862-1566UNH Media RelationsSeptember 18, 2008Reporters and editors: Jon Plodzik, UNH director of dining, is available to commenton the new Dairy Bar at 603-862-4831 or jon.plodzik@unh.eduDURHAM, N.H. - It still looks like a train depot, and it still serves breakfast, sandwiches, andmuch-loved ice cream.But the University of New Hampshire's Dairy Bar, a landmark for generations of students andcommunity members, has been renovated and reopened with a focus on sustainability thathas current and future generations in mind. Reopened in August 2008 under management ofUNH Dining Services, the Dairy Bar boasts food that is local, often organic, and served with aneye toward nutrition; Energy Star-rated appliances; and even take-out containers that arecompostable."This was an opportunity for us to do something different," says Rick MacDonald, assistantdirector of University Hospitality Services and a driving force in the "new" Dairy Bar.MacDonald, director of dining Jon Plodzik, and director of culinary services Ralph Coughenourdrew on UNH Dining's significant Local Harvest Initiative, a collaboration with the UniversityOffice of Sustainability that brings local and sustainable food into the university's threestudent dining halls and retail outlets regularly.Natural chicken for salads and sandwiches comes from Lasting Legacy Farms in Barrington;Durham's Bagelry supplies bagels; eggs are certified-humane, cage-free and organic fromPete & Gerry's in Monroe; GrandyOats Organic Granola, founded by UNH alums, comes fromBrownfield, Maine; and Londonderry's Stonyfield Farms supplies yogurt. Coffee, from NHCoffee Roasters in Dover, is fair-trade and shade-grown. In addition to ice cream from Blake'sin Manchester, the Dairy Bar also serves Doriti Gelato from Brentwood.Sustainability at the Dairy Bar goes beyond what customers put in their mouths to what theydon't put in the trash. Take-out containers and cutlery, in addition to unwaxed paper goods,are all compostable. As a large customer for Central Paper, the Manchester-based companythat supplies the compostable containers, UNH is driving a new market for these innovativeproducts, MacDonald notes.Early planning for the new Dairy Bar involved students and faculty in UNH's nutritionalsciences program. Their work is reflected in the restaurant's modest portion sizes, no friedfood but lots of salads, condiments offered on the side, and healthy choices like yogurtparfaits, fresh fruit cups, and baked apples. "We even worked with Abigail's to develop a rollthat was three ounces, rather than their usual four," says Coughenour.UNH Reopens Celebrated Dairy Bar With Focus on Local, Sustainable Foodhttp://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2008/sept/bp18dairy.cfm.html[9/12/2016 1:23:09 PM]Long-time patrons will be relieved to learn that strict portion control has not been applied tothe ice cream. "If you eat all that healthy food, it's OK to have ice cream," says Plodzik.Other sustainable innovations at the Dairy Bar include Energy Star-rated appliances andorganic cotton uniforms. Even the Vetrazzo countertops, which sparkle with recycled glass,reflect the restaurant's mission."We want to make as little of a footprint as possible," says Plodzik.Other Dairy Bar changes include counter service instead of the previous waited tables andextended hours, until 8 p.m. seven days per week. Plodzik anticipates that the restaurant maystay open even later to catch post-hockey or event crowds leaving the nearby WhittemoreCenter.For the ultimate experience in sustainability, Dairy Bar patrons can catch the AmtrakDowneaster to Portland, Boston, or points in between just outside the back door - as morethan 60,000 passengers do each year.Opened in 1970 at the Richardsonesque railway station that had then been unused sincepassenger train service ended in the previous decade, the UNH Dairy Bar was run by studentsin the food service management program at the Thompson School for Applied Science until2007. It closed at the end of 2007 for a renovation that included significant upgrades to theAmtrak station, funded in part by the U.S. and New Hampshire departments of transportation.Total costs for the renovation of the Dairy Bar were approximately $300,000.For more information on the UNH Dairy Bar, including a complete menu and hours, go tohttp://www.unh.edu/dairy-bar/. To learn more about the Local Harvest Initiaitve of UNHDining and the University Office of Sustainability, go tohttp://www.unh.edu/dining/community/local-harvest.html.-30- Photographs available to download:http://www.unh.edu/news/cj_nr/2008/sept/dairybar1.jpghttp://www.unh.edu/news/cj_nr/2008/sept/dairybar2.jpgCredit: Erin Gleason, UNH Photo Services. 

UNH Reopens Celebrated Dairy Bar With Focus On Local, Sustainable Food

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UNH Reopens Celebrated Dairy Bar With Focus On Local, Sustainable Food

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