Lompoc Unified School District Unveils Remodeled Central Kitchen
Lompoc Unified School District leaders are celebrating the completion of the newly remodeled Central Kitchen, allowing the District to serve freshly prepared from scratch entrees in all of its schools.
“W wanted to serve nicer, higher quality and better tasting food,” said Kathy Bertelsen, a Child Nutrition Manager with LUSD.
The 1.8 million dollar makeover was thanks in part to The Orfalea Foundation who provided nearly 2/3rds of the grant money and a culinary boot camp for LUSD kitchen staff.
“There was an opportunity to transform the program from convenience items to more scratch cooking and offer more local seasonal produce,” said Kirsten Criswell, a Chef Instructor for The Orfalea Foundation.
“Some people have trouble cooking for two to four people at home, so when we’re talking about 5 to 6 thousand meals a day efficiency is key.”
The kitchen now has an additional cooking line with a tilt skillet, two steam-jacketed kettles, a combi-oven and exhaust hood; an additional blast chiller; doubled walk-in refrigeration and freezer capacity; a new dish machine and three-compartment sink; new flooring; new security and back-up system for refrigerated and frozen storage units; and relocation of child nutrition administrative offices.
