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Fresh-picked berry ideas

Tart, sweet and bright, a mix of berries on the menu is a sure sign of spring.

Tara Fitzpatrick, Senior Editor

March 7, 2019

1 Min Read
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Mixed berry sparkling water

Elon University, Elon, N.C.

At Lakeside Dining Hall, one of the residential venues at Elon managed by the Harvest Table Culinary Group, a housemade simple syrup station next to a sparkling water tap means personalized beverages without all the traditional soda chemicals and preservatives. The Elon chefs rotate the flavors based on the seasons, offering three different flavors at a time.

Blueberry breakfast bark

Charlotte-Mecklenburg (N.C.) School District

Blueberry Day at Charlotte-Mecklenburg was a celebration of the “little blue dynamos,” featured in a breakfast bark in sample cups created by the US Highbush Blueberry Council. The kids loved the breakfast (and the literary companion, the classic Caldecott Award-wining children’s book, Blueberries for Sal), so blueberry bark will become a part of Berry Week this month.

blackberry_meringue.JPGBlackberry meringue

Boston College

This catering item from Boston College’s culinary team makes the most of the blackberry’s show-stopping natural form, perched on a mini lemon meringue tart, this dessert offers a refreshing departure from chocolate or cheesecake.

About the Author

Tara Fitzpatrick

Senior Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group

Tara Fitzpatrick is Food Management’s senior editor and a contributor to Restaurant Hospitality and Nation’s Restaurant News, creating editorial content for digital, print and events. Tara holds a bachelor of science degree from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Kent State University. Before joining Food Management in 2008, Tara was associate editor at National Association of College Stores in Oberlin, Ohio. Prior to that, Tara worked as a newspaper reporter in her hometown of Lorain, Ohio, where she lives now. Tara is a fan of food history, legends, lore, ghost stories, urban farming and old cookbooks. 

Tara Fitzpatrick’s areas of expertise include the onsite foodservice industry (K-12 schools, colleges and universities, healthcare and B&I), menu trends, sustainability in foodservice, senior dining, farm-to-table and innovation.

Tara Fitzpatrick is a frequent webinar and podcast host and has served on the board of directors for IFEC (International Food Editors Consortium).

Tara Fitzpatrick’s experience:

Senior Editor, Food Management (Feb 2008-present)

Associate Editor, National Association of College Stores (2005-2008)

Reporter, The Morning Journal (2002-2005)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-fitzpatrick-4a08451/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tara_Fitzie

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/tarafitzie/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tara.y.fitzpatrick

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