This Fall, Stevens welcomes a new member to the Sodexo family. Executive Chef Kenneth Fredericks has been at Stevens for two weeks, and has already found great ways of improving the dining experience, and most importantly that of Pierce Dining Hall. Ken has worked for Sodexo for 27 years, and has been working in the culinary field for over 35 years. He has experience as an executive chef at other college campuses including Temple, Montclair, Drexel, and Norwich.
Why did Fredericks come to Stevens? “The view!” he immediately answered. Fredericks also said Stevens was much closer to him seeing that he is from New Jersey, and that he “saw a need that is a good fit” for him, as well as a great addition to Sodexo. Having worked at many campuses, including military academies, Fredericks has experienced all types of students. He is looking into what he can do to meet the students’ needs. Fredericks wants to focus on customer service; he believes a student shouldn’t be told they can’t have something if the ingredients are there to make it, and they are willing to wait for it to be made. He says he plans to make Pierce “more modern”. He mentioned the idea of putting in new high-top tables to go along with the hanging lights where the booths used to be.
Among his other ideas is Taco Tuesday. Everyone would be sick of the same tacos every week, so the idea would be to have different kinds every time. Fredericks is also a big man, and looking at the sizes of the portions served at Pierce, he said that they should be serving food that actually resembles a full meal. He pointed out the tiny muffins served at Pierce that would take ten to make a full muffin. He also expressed interest in adding entrees to the vegetarian cuisine, rather than three separate bowls of things that just don’t have meat in them. Additionally, he wants to add new sandwiches and bring new foods to America’s Cup. Fredericks said that college is odd because you are with an age group of people aged 18 to 24, a group of which you may never be with in your life again. As underclassmen, your mentality is different than an upperclassmen worrying about finding a job and moving ahead in life. As our responsibilities change in life, so do our needs regarding trying new things, and our pallets may become more “adult” over time.
Chef Fredricks wants to try new things, and find out what foods students really want to eat. He said at one school, “dinner was all milkshakes.” Fredericks wants to bring his ideas and experiences to Stevens, but he is also looking for feedback from students. He wants to know about the simple problems we face at Stevens. If the soda machine is broken or sprays water at you, he wants to know. Fredericks made it clear that he’s interested in fixing problems and finding solutions to the needs of the students. Students are encouraged to contact him weather in person, by email, or any other way they choose.
Be First to Comment