About Us

Our interactive food and nutrition education programs make eating healthy food fun for students of all ages. Through our programs, BVSD kids learn where food comes from, what fresh food tastes like, and even how to grow and cook their own food.

Our director, Chef Ann Cooper, often referred to as the “Renegade Lunch Lady,” is a celebrated author, chef, educator, and enduring advocate for better food for all children. Our hardworking food services team of nearly 200 employees in the cafeterias and central office are dedicated to providing excellent service and high-quality meals to each and every BVSD student.

Have questions? Contact us! Looking for a position with us? Learn more...

We are continuously improving our sustainability efforts through innovative and award-winning solutions, such as reusable bins for local deliveries, recycling beef cooking oil for biofuel for local farm tractors and composting vegetable scraps to feed locally farmed pigs. BVSD's production kitchens monitor their daily food waste with the LeanPath tracking system, allowing us to implement new, creative food waste reduction strategies.

A kitchen built to deliver freshness and quality

BVSD has worked for over a decade to transition to a scratch-cooked food program built on the cornerstones of freshness and local sourcing. Thanks to the belief of local voters that fresh food matters, the district took a giant step forward in fulfilling that mission with the construction of the new Culinary Center which opened in 2020.
 
The new facility replaced three regional production kitchens that were located at schools. The regional production kitchens were never designed or sized for producing the amount of scratch-cooked food they were charged with, but had been retrofitted to get by over the years. While these kitchens served well to support the district’s transition to scratch-cooked food, the retro-fitted facilities presented challenges, particularly related to food prep space and storage. The new facility can expand production up to 17,000 daily meals as demand grows.

A place for everything

The new 33,591-square-foot facility will reduce food and operating costs while allowing the district to expand initiatives such as nutrition education and addressing food insecurity. The Culinary Center features a loading dock with a fresh food processing area for deliveries, three food prep areas, abundant storage, a blast chill area, and business spaces. Features such as precise temperature control and separate areas for preparing raw meat and fresh veggies promote food safety.  Production of food at one location provides more control over quality and waste.  

Partnering with local farmers for the freshest food

The new building was intentionally designed to support the district’s commitment to partnering with local farmers. A ground-level delivery door provides easier access for farmers’ smaller trucks. Ample storage lets BVSD buy in bulk and store local seasonal crops—a benefit to smaller farms that often don’t have storage capacity. A produce washing room boasts equipment designed to clean everything from hardy beets to delicate strawberries—so farmers don’t have to. Sourcing food locally supports farmer families and provides the freshest food to Boulder Valley kids!