UBC Okanagan Food Services

• UBC Okanagan is now large enough to make a self-operated food service business model viable.
• Self-operated food service businesses, if large enough, are typically superior to contract models, with respect to offerings and service, and are more profitable over the long term.
• UBCO FS is in a unique position to leverage UBCV’s strengths and experience from operating one of the largest and most complex on-campus food service programs in Canada.

UBCV self-operates one of the largest and most complex on-campus food service programs in Canada. UBC Okanagan is in a unique position to leverage UBCV’s strengths to deliver a unique, world-class food service program, beyond what a school with similar sales, on a stand-alone basis, could achieve:

• Internal systems and services: culinary expertise, procurement, nutrition & wellness, marketing & communications, brand concept development and duplication, finance and meal plan administration, IT, and food information systems.
• External systems and services: Food, beverage and related supplier relationships, franchisors and software solutions.

• Improved menu variety and diversity.
• Menu items made primarily in-house in consultation with a registered dietitian, with high-quality, nutritious, and minimally-processed ingredients.
• Access to enhanced nutritional support and healthy choice encouragement.
• Improved alignment with UBC’s student experience goals: provide a supportive and inclusive environment, an exceptional campus life, enhanced learning opportunities, and opportunities for engagement and connection.
• New positions in many areas of food services will be available at launch and as growth occurs, including job opportunities for students.
• More opportunity for partnerships and nimbler menu adjustments.

• Improved menu variety and diversity.
• Menu items made primarily in-house in consultation with a registered dietitian, with high-quality, nutritious, and minimally-processed ingredients.
• Access to enhanced nutritional support.
• Improved alignment with UBC’s values and initiatives.
• More opportunity for partnerships.

UBCO Food Services proudly prioritizes the use of high-quality, minimally-processed ingredients, and our staff receive competitive compensation packages. While the cost of many items will remain the same or very similar, there will be increased price diversity. An abundance of new items will be offered that make use of higher-quality ingredients and culinary acumen, and are priced accordingly.

We require between 140 and 160 new BCGEU positions on campus. Additional positions will become available as the University builds additional student housing and increases the student population.

Current unionized Aramark employees will not continue with Aramark in their positions as of July 1, 2019. Interested staff will be encouraged to apply for new UBCO Food Services positions.

Nearly all current positions will be available as new unionized (BCGEU) positions. Current Aramark employees are encouraged to apply for upcoming posted positions. Successful applicants will be hired as UBC employees. UBCO Food Services anticipates hiring a large number of former Aramark staff.

Wages: $15.64 to $23.14 per hour depending on position.

Employee benefits: hr.ubc.ca/bcgeu

UBC Okanagan BCGEU Collective Agreement: hr.ubc.ca/bcgeuca

New positions will be posted as open competitions on the UBC Career Services website beginning February 2019 with interviews starting in March 2019. Interviews and hiring will take place during spring 2019. There will be a July 1, 2019 start date for approximately 30 positions; remaining positions will start at the beginning of the 2019-20 school year.

By UBC Student Housing & Hospitality Services (SHHS).

UBC would incur revenue loss during an initial transitional period. But by fiscal 23/24, profit would be higher than through a contract model, and this trend would continue positively from that year forward.

No one can reflect and carry out the values and principles of UBC better than UBC:

• More support and sponsorships for core UBC initiatives and programs.
• More likely to innovate, such as implementing leading edge approaches to local and sustainable foods, menu concepts, and waste recovery management.
• Better alignment with customer service goals and overarching mission.
• More reflective of the community goals of Residence Life with respect to special events, promotions, and overall dining atmosphere.
• Allows us to bring UBC Vancouver’s Food Vision and Values to UBC Okanagan.

A self-operated business model means better alignment with UBC’s sustainability initiatives. A sampling of UBCV Food Services sustainability initiatives that we hope to replicate at UBC Okanagan:

• Over 62% of foods are locally purchased (within 400km).
• As a UBC Zero Waste partner, we use recyclable or compostable single-use containers, offer discount container programs, and strive to compost all food scraps. We do not distribute plastic cutlery or plastic straws.
• We employ diverse staff, including students. Workers receive compensation above minimum wage.
• From food festivals and partnering with local farmers’ markets to sustainability lunch & learns, our events enrich and animate campus. We also sponsor select campus events.
• We are active partners in student learning programs and regularly implement student ideas.
• We prioritize ethical procurement. Our UBCV campus is Fair Trade certified and we are proud partners with Ocean Wise. Fresh poultry is free run, Halal-certified, and locally sourced. All whole shell eggs come from free run hens. Cooking oil is collected from food service locations and made into biodiesel.
• Allows us to bring UBC Vancouver’s Food Vision and Values to UBC Okanagan.

Eating a balanced diet is vital for good health and wellbeing. UBC Okanagan will provide resources and enhanced support for a variety of food and nutrition concerns. Plus, we’ll promote healthy choices – and students will have access to a UBC nutritional blog, comprehensive nutritional tools, events, and more.

Scholar’s Catering, UBCV’s much-loved catering operation, will launch at UBC Okanagan on July 1, 2019. Scholar’s Catering specializes in full-service event catering and delivery catering. It offers everything from fine dining, buffets, receptions, and barbecues to casual meeting fare.

Primarily through sponsoring select campus events. We’ll have an annual budget set aside for sponsoring events through products, services, gift baskets, gift cards, and more. Our goal is to partner with events that have a strong, natural match with our brand values, which means they must be related to the themes of sustainability (social, ecological, economic) or nutrition (wellness, healthy lifestyles). Only UBC staff, faculty, or student events are eligible.

UBCO Food Services will also be available to actively partner with student learning programs and regularly implement recommendations from students.

Both UBC Okanagan and UBCV will follow similar Food Vision, Values & Training guidelines:

Vision

We nourish and support the students, faculty, staff, and visitors of UBC by providing a diverse selection of fresh, delicious, and memorable food experiences in a socially and ecologically conscious manner. We do this by creating marketplaces and environments where wholesome, healthful food is a priority because our guests, our food, and our wellbeing matter.

Values

• We buy high-quality, nutritious, sustainable foods and prioritize fresh, minimally processed ingredients.
• We are committed to offering and actively promoting an abundance of affordable healthy choices for all meals, in recognition of the contribution eating well makes to academic and professional success.
• We share food and nutrition knowledge and skills to improve the health and wellbeing of our community.
• We encourage reduced meat consumption by making vegan and vegetarian options readily available, abundant, and affordable, to reduce our impact on our air, land, water, and climate.
• We are proud to be an Ocean Wise™ partner and prioritize purchasing sustainable seafood.
• We are a Zero Waste partner at UBC, use recyclable or compostable single-use containers, offer discount container programs, and do not distribute plastic cutlery or straws.
• Free drinking water is readily available at or near all of our food service locations as a sustainable and economic alternative to bottled beverage purchases and to encourage reduced consumption of sugar sweetened beverages.
• We buy seasonal foods from local food producers, as close to campus as possible, to reduce our environmental impact, provide fresh ingredients, and to strengthen British Columbia’s and Canada’s economies.
• Our culinary focus utilizes local and seasonal Pacific Northwest cuisine, while simultaneously striving to offer globally inspired and culturally appropriate menu choices.
• We strive to prepare as many menu items as possible in-house, based on our menu engineering guidelines developed with our registered dietitian.
• Our Supplier Code of Conduct sets performance expectations and strongly encourages our suppliers to support our Food Vision & Values.
• We support our team with ongoing professional development to drive culinary excellence and meet or exceed our customers’ expectations.
• Our rigorous food safety plan consists of procedures, training, and auditing that ensures a safe environment our guests can trust.
• We strongly support the UBC Action Framework for a Nutritionally Sound Campus, a UBC Wellbeing priority area, by helping to lead the Food and Nutrition Working Group and working towards achieving its goals.

Training

We supply ongoing professional development to drive culinary excellence and to optimize guest experience. Our training programs include food safety training, allergen training, plant-based protein menu development training, and sustainability workshops to help educate and engage our culinarians.