Sodexo Partners With Celeb Chefs for College Menu Series

Sodexo will bring a special menu series of Thai, Vietnamese and Mexican specialties to its 600 college dining sites in 2009, with dishes created by celebrity chefs Mai Pham and Roberto Santibañez. The series will include popular street foods from Southeast Asia and Mexico and authentic home favorites, including rice paper wrapped salad rolls and red snapper Veracruz style.

The program also features chances for customers to travel with the chefs to learn about their countries, culture, and cuisine. National webcast events will feature both chefs conducting live demonstrations with special components allowing for audience interaction. A special cookbook fundraiser will involve students in helping to stop hunger in Vietnam and Mexico, the home countries of the chefs.

Another key element of the program is continuing professional development for Sodexo's 530 college segment chefs. Pham and Santibañez will be present at every campus, via a video link, to showcase their cuisine.

"These talented chefs will partner with Sodexo's powerful team of topnotch chefs to create exciting culinary experiences for our campus customers," says Tom Post, president of Sodexo’s campus dining unit. "Together, we will showcase the mastery of our chefs and appeal to the culinary adventure that today's student looks for in a campus dining experience."