In 2023 Aramark Group Executive Chef Stuart Fildes engaged students at the University of Hertfordshire in a bid to discover what they wanted to see more of on menus.
Feedback including calls for authentic dishes from across the globe resulted in the establishment of a partnership between students and Aramark's on-campus catering team.
Birth of the “Student Takeover”
A Student Guest Chef programme was tested with international students helping to cook dishes from their home countries alongside Aramark’s dining staff.
Following its initial success, the catering team introduced the “Student Takeover” at the university's food courts as a formal programme.
Throughout this journey, students were invited to present their favourite dishes from their home countries, taking everyone on a cultural journey back to where the dish began.
Countries represented in first year of the takeover included Egypt, India, Pakistan, Portugal, and the United Kingdom.
The student takeover has been a fantastic experience. The kitchen team and I have learned so much from the international students.
Stuart Fildes, Group Executive ChefImpacting Student Engagement
Fildes says: "The student takeover has been a fantastic experience.
The kitchen team and I have learned so much from the international students".
The programme has had a massive impact on student engagement.
Students promote their “Takeovers” to encourage peers to attend on-campus dining facilities and sample the dishes.
In turn, this has led to meals selling out every time.
