A Look into the Eaglebrook Kitchen

Charlotte Dewey, Eaglebrook’s director of dining services and executive chef, spoke to the community at a morning assembly last week. The Eaglebrook kitchen is a gem that serves fresh, local, and delicious food to 250 boys, the Eaglebrook faculty & staff, and their families each day, but not many are familiar with the inner workings of the kitchen, so Charlotte spoke about the ins and outs of how everyone at Eaglebrook gets fed. We learned that the bakers arrive at 3 a.m. to prepare all of the baked goods needed for the day, which they make from scratch. Mountains of cardboard, a result of the deliveries that come daily, have to be broken down each day for recycling. The organic waste buckets are hauled to the compost pile. And of course, there is always cleaning to do and preparation for the next meal. And do you know how much silverware gets washed each day?

Those are just “normal” activities too – they do not include preparations for the amazing Sunday Brunch served each week (it is one of the best in the area…shhh.), or boxed meals for special trips or teams that will miss meals because they are at away games. In short, it is a lot of work, but Charlotte did say, “It is the primary job for me and my department to prepare for all of you simple, delicious, healthy, and fresh meals with as many local ingredients as possible.” Watch a segment from her talk where she speaks about food, life, and Eaglebrook here.

Charlotte and another member of dining services traveled to China last summer to visit with a family whose sons graduated from Eaglebrook in 2013. While there, Charlotte and Mariana learned new cooking techniques and discovered ingredients they had not seen before. They came home with 40 recipes to use in the dining hall. Charlotte encouraged students and faculty members to come to her with their favorite recipes so that she can bring them to the whole community. It was a treat to get a view inside of the Eaglebrook kitchen. We are very lucky to have such an amazing staff cooking delicious food for our community.