As we walk into school every morning, an aroma lingers throughout the hall. It’s always a fun guessing game trying to figure out what the scent happens to be, and this may lead some students to wonder what goes on behind the closed doors of the cafeteria. To investigate this idea, I’m going to take a deep dive into the behind the scenes of Berkley’s cafeteria. The foods service director, Amanda Snider, gave me insight on what goes into feeding BHS.
Probably the most common questions that students have when it comes to the cafeteria, is how the menu is chosen. Snider sheds some light on this saying, “We have a five week cycle menu.” This means that the cafeteria staff makes a food agenda for five weeks and once those weeks are up, they repeat that agenda. Snider explains, “After a month or two of this, we decide what worked best, and make changes based on that.”
Snider along with the rest of the staff want to please the people of Berkley High School. In order to do so, they change up the menu depending on what the students liked or disliked. These different foods include pizza, breakfast, tacos, and more! Along with these foods, Snider sates, “I encourage students to use the fruit and vegetable bar. A few weeks ago, we started serving apple slices in individual bags.” They continue to try new additions in this area because kids really seem to love it. Snider also encourages students to get some variety in their lunch saying, “The deli bar is awesome! Students should definitely try that out sometime.”
Aside from these great features, students still question how the food is made. Snider explains, “Most of the food is cooked from a frozen state but we do hand make our sandwiches and salads.” They ensure that they prepare all items served in a safe and healthy environment. There are so many awesome options, next time you’re in the cafeteria, stop by and grab some food!
This awesome service provided to Berkley High School students is outstanding, but it requires hard work. The kitchen staff not only provides lunch but also breakfast, although most students don’t know this. Snider shares the daily breakfast process, “The kitchen manager opens and sets up for breakfast.” Those who come through, will receive a nutritious and free breakfast! After breakfast, “The kitchen staff spends a lot of time cleaning up and preparing to serve hot lunch.” The pre-lunch rush is real. Not only are the kitchen staff working hard for the high school students, but they also prepare hot lunch for the four elementary schools. Snider explains that “they start their lunch process cooking for the elementary schools, then they move on to the high school lunch.” During this period of the day, kitchen staff spend lots of time by the oven, cleaning, and cooking with sanitary guidelines. All of this cooking builds up to create the aroma we smell throughout the day. The staff put in a lot of effort and time to make your meals delicious and healthy! Next time you go through the lunch line, make sure to thank them!
There are a few hidden perks about going through the lunch line that students might not know. Snider happily shares those hidden perks, “Many students don’t realize that both breakfast and lunch are free!” This is a treat to the Berkely community in many different ways. One of these ways being that they make sure you are getting the nutrition you need. Snider adds, “The meals can only be free along certain guidelines.” For example, you must have a fruit or vegetable on your tray for it to be free. Snider ecstatically recommends that “You should definitely stop by and get free meals! They are delicious and my favorite part of the day. We want the students to eat, so come get your free breakfast and lunch!”
Hopefully now that Snider thoroughly explained ‘behind the scenes’ of the kitchen, you will show gratitude to your very own kitchen staff! Go test out some of these hidden gems and delicious items next lunch period!

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