Meal of the Century

Believe it or not: Delaware North, contract foodservice giant with 200 locations on four continents, began as two brothers selling popcorn in a movie theater. To celebrate the century of foodservice that evolved into sports venues, airports, national parks, government buildings and more, the company challenged its chefs to create a four-course meal that represented Delaware North through 100 years. Winners of the Meal of the Century challenge will be represented at a huge tasting dinner later this month in New York City.

“The creativity and the talent level that we have is amazing,” says Dawn Hedges, department manager at Delaware North account Buffalo Niagara International Airport. “There are a lot of subsidiaries and venues, but the common denominator is food.”

Hedges was one of the winners, and her meal represented different aspects of the company: Gouda Crostini with Mushroom Chardonnay Cream Sauce for the Finger Lakes region of New York, Senate Bean Soup for its presence in Washington, Airline Chicken to represent airports and Vanilla Ice Cream Infused with Rum and Kahlua for a regional Detroit Tigers dessert at the ballpark.

Click through to see Hedges' dishes and those of the other winners.