#cat pause

172 pages, PaperbackFirst published January 1, 2014This editionFormat: 172 pages, PaperbackPublished: June 30, 2020 by RoutledgeISBN: 9780367600778 (ISBN10: 0367600773)Language: English Blurb Cultural anxieties about fatness and the attendant stigmatisation of fat bodies, have lent a medical authority and cultural legitimacy to what can be described as ‘fat-phobia’. Against the backdrop of the…

Do you enjoy a cold brew coffee and a fresh bakery item before class? Do you enjoy supporting local businesses? If so, you can stop in at Henderson’s Café, which carries VT Artisan Tea and Coffee and Mirabelles bakery items among many other local foods. Henderson’s Café, named after the first UVM African American graduate, is the first retail store for VT Artisan Tea and Coffee. Henderson’s Café, the Bookstore (on the third floor of Davis Center) and CAT Pause convenient store’s (on the first floor of Davis Center) are all owned by UVM but managed as a self-sustaining department. They create profits that go back into the general fund to support scholarships and clubs. In all three venues there is a commitment to sourcing local foods.

All locations are taking part in the Real Food Challenge and Vermont First at UVM. The Real Food Challenge is a national student led organization that challenges universities to shift 20% of campus food purchases towards local, ecologically sound, fair and humane food by 2020. Vermont First is Sodexo’s statewide pledge to purchase products made in Vermont. Between these three locations, 37.9 % of the food they sold during the 2015-2016 assessment year was considered Real Food and 81.5 % met Vermont First criteria.

Management has been committed to the Real Food Challenge for the past three years and has already exceeded the University’s goal of 20% by 2020! According to the manager Jay Menninger, “We do try to supply everything local that we can, we try desperately to support all the local businesses… We do 65 or 66 percent- according to what week you talk to me, local vendors down in the CAT Pause convenient store.”  Jay notes that the commitment to local food comes with challenges. They have to work individually with each vendor and each one presents unique purchasing challenges. For example, when developing a sales relationship with Mirabelles, Henderson’s Café was buying two large orders per week, but it was difficult to keep goods fresh. To cut down on waste they now purchase daily. Each morning at 6:30 AM a Henderson’s staff member picks up their Mirabelles delivery and hand wrap each baked good.  At CAT Pause the managers hand-pick the freshest fruit at the grocery store to ensure quality and cut waste. The Bookstore management is open to investigate new local products that students suggest. Their newest local product is VT Artisan Cold Brew which is in partnership with a recent UVM graduate.  Stop in and tell Jay your idea today!