SFU partners with Chartwells to lead dining experience in Burnaby

BURNABY, BC, April 18, 2019 /CNW/ - Starting May 2019, SFU and Chartwells will bring a world-class, student-first dining experience to the Burnaby campus – one that gives back and engages with the local and international community.   

"At SFU, our focus is on student success and we work passionately to provide high quality education, exceptional student experiences and community engagement opportunities," says Martin Pochurko, SFU's vice president, finance and administration. "Chartwells' new Thinking Ahead Giving Back vision was the game changer for us. Their new commitment to local procurement, social innovation and giving back to the community really resonates with us."

SFU is an innovator in campus dining, creating Canada's first 24/7 dining hall for its student community and leading the development of the fair trade campus movement across the country. At the heart of this new culinary program with Chartwells at SFU will be a partnership with local Vancouver celebrity chef and SFU alumnus Vikram Vij, world-renowned cookbook author and television personality.  The partnership with Vij will include display cooking and teaching with students, in addition to guiding the menu for special events.

"I am confident that Chartwell's new direction will allow us to strengthen the SFU student experience at the Burnaby campus and build on our community and global contributions," adds Pochurko.

"We are extremely proud to bring our new vision to the SFU community," says Chartwells President Ashton Sequeira. "We believe in partnering with the community to engage and inspire students.  I'm excited about the strategic partnerships that we have and the new ones we will be forming to demonstrate our new approach at SFU." 

Chartwells Thinking Ahead Giving Back (TAGB) platform impacts its partners across the country. Through it, Chartwells has pledged over three years to deliver one million meals to tackle food insecurity, both domestically and globally, to provide 10,000 hours of community support around mental well-being and other social issues facing students, and to create 1,000 job connections through a more focused commitment to student employment. "The introduction of this initiative has really changed how we engage with students and the programs we offer on campus. We are excited to work with the SFU community to bring the TAGB pledge to life on campus," said Ashton Sequeira. 

Their partnership with the WE organization has already resulted in over 800,000 meals provided to children in need world-wide. And Chartwells' exclusive partnership with The Growcer has resulted in the first '100 Foot Farm'  by utilizing smart farming technology to harvest fresh produce year round, just steps away from a campus dining location.

About Simon Fraser University: Engaging Students. Engaging Research. Engaging Communities.

As Canada's engaged university, SFU is defined by its dynamic integration of innovative education, cutting-edge research and far-reaching community engagement. SFU was founded more than 50 years ago with a mission to be a different kind of university—to bring an interdisciplinary approach to learning, embrace bold initiatives, and engage with communities near and far. Today, SFU is Canada's leading comprehensive research university and is ranked one of the top universities in the world. With campuses in British Columbia's three largest cities – Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey – SFU has eight faculties, delivers almost 150 programs to over 35,000 students, and boasts more than 155,000 alumni in 130 countries around the world.

About Chartwells Canada – Compass Group Canada

Chartwells Canada is a sector of Compass Group Canada, the country's leading foodservice and support services provider with over 25,000 associates working in more than 2,200 location throughout the country. The company specializes in providing foodservices and support services across the core sectors including leading sports and leisure venues, executive dining rooms and cafes, schools, universities, seniors' residences and hospitals as well as remote camps and off shore oil rigs. Compass Group Canada has been identified as Best Workplaces™ in Retail and Hospitality in 2019 by Great Place to Work^®, the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Our parent company, UK-based Compass Group PLC, operates in more than 50 countries, with leading market positions in the UK, Continental Europe, Australia, and the US, combined with business in developing markets in Eastern Europe, South America, and Asia. Compass Group employs more than 600,000 associates worldwide delivering superior service for the highest customer experience. The Group had revenues of £23.2 billion ($31.4 billion USD) in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018.

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SOURCE Chartwells Canada

Chartwells Canada, Stephanie Baxter, Director Communications, 647-633-5420, [email protected]; Simon Fraser University, Braden McMillan, Communications Associate, 778.782.3210, [email protected]