NuCuisine moved up to No. 12 on The Daily Meal’s ranking of the best colleges for food in America for 2013.
The Daily Meal, an online publication that covers dining news nationwide, ranked Northwestern’s food service at the university’s highest position yet, 16 spots higher than its 2012 rating.
NuCuisine spokesman Jason Sophian said the high ranking stems from the balance between nationally recognized brands and locally bought goods on campus.
“It’s nice to have a childhood favorite like Starbucks on campus, but at the same time have chefs that are willing to meet any of your dietary needs,” Sophian said.
The rankings for the best dining halls were based on five criteria: health/sustainability, accessibility, events, uniqueness and student feedback on online platforms.
“All meals are made with an eye on freshness and quality, not to mention originality,” The Daily Meal said of nuCuisine in its article on the rankings.
Weinberg freshman Jason Sloan said the dining staff has catered to his dietary needs with vegan and kosher options.
“Whether it’s kosher or gluten-free, nuCuisine offers meals that even a student with the most dietary restrictions can eat and enjoy,” Sloan said.
As for sustainability, nuCuisine is trying to increase its percentage of locally bought goods, Sophian said. Student interns work within nuCuisine to track local vendors and find new ways that dining halls can promote waste reduction.
Sleeve a Message, another nuCuisine sustainability initiative, prints hot beverage sleeves made from 90 percent post-consumer compost. For every 7,000 sleeves used, a tree is planted to offset the carbon footprint, Sophian said.
Medill freshman Joanne Lee said she appreciates the opportunity to get updates from nuCuisine on social media.
“It’s nice to know that I can look on the nuCuisine social media sites to see if there’s anything special being served in the kitchen,” Lee said.
With nearly 1,000 followers on both Twitter and Facebook, nuCuisine seeks to create a dialogue with students, Sophian said.
“We’re always looking to get better,” he said. “Our hope is that with more student involvement and feedback, we’ll continue to cater to the needs of every student.”
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