UPDATE (9/7): The Boston Globe reports that more food service violations were discovered Wednesday in a follow-up inspection following unsettling findings last week on the first week of school. Some sandwiches were found not to be kept cool enough, though food service company Chartwells had addressed earlier problems with certain foods not being kept hot enough or protected enough from germs. School officials gave Chartwells a vote of confidence despite the early struggles.
From Last Week:
Chartwells, the food service company that took over serving meals at Wellesley Public Schools this year, has gotten off to a rough start. The company, which has a motto of “eat, learn, live,” better get learnin’ the rules in a hurry since it has a lot to prove after replacing the popular service previously run by the town.
The town’s health department issued reports right and left this week regarding violations, such as not keeping deli sandwiches cold enough, not protecting pizzas from sneezes, not logging temperatures and not keeping hot foods warm enough (maybe these are science experiments?). Violations were identified on the opening day of Wellesley Middle School Wednesday, as well as on Friday.
The decision to go with Chartwells was announced in August, with benefits touted such as the company’s attention to serving locally grown foods and providing a point of sale system that might help nip in the bud some of the money collection issues that emerged last school year. However, longtime employees of the town’s food service operation raised plenty of objections to privatization of the operation, fearing loss of jobs, seniority and other benefits. Sounds like there might be no shortage of whistleblowers…
One student close to the Swellesley Report has already made the decision to start bringing lunch, instead of buying as he did most of last year due to the lack of attractive choices. A reader also emailed: “My kids hate the lunch at the high school. I will be making lunch for my sophomore for the first time ever! Expensive and awful food.” Over on our Facebook page, a reader writes: “*gasp* big corporate food is…um…off?”
More details from the Townsman and Patch.
