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Taher, Inc. Professional Food Service Management Taher Inc’s Chef Council Founder and CEO Bruce Taher, founder and CEO of Taher Inc., a foodservice management company based in Minnetonka, loves the chefs that work for him—particularly those on his Chef Council, a group of about a dozen chefs that are charged with maintaining and influencing the company’s extensive me...nu database. It’s a well-traveled group that’s coveted by many in the industry, Taher said. So much so, that attempts to hire them away aren’t unusual. “A competitor will call in (to a chef ), and say, ‘Hey, I see you’re on the Chef Council, you travel, you know a lot, we’re hoping to do something, but we can’t, so, what if we hire you?’” Fortunately, loyalty runs deep at Taher. Chris Miller and Mark Augustine have worked as chefs at Taher for eight years after successful careers in hotels, country clubs and catering. “It’s easy to work for someone that has the same passion for food (as you do),” Augustine said. He and Miller have been Chef Council members for several years. “I’m in awe at the knowledge and talent in this team,” Miller said. “You put them all in one room, and I doubt you’d find a better one in the business.” The company’s reputation continues to attract top talent, such as recent hires Donald Gonzalez, a French Laundry alum, who is the executive chef at the Taher Inc.-owned Forepaugh’s in St. Paul, and local legend Paul Laubignat (who is called “The Professor”) who owned and operated Chez Paul in Minneapolis and Nancy’s Landing in Waconia. It’s Laubignat’s second tenure with Taher Inc., bookends for his successful turn as restaurateur. “Bruce was my best customer at Chez Paul,” he said. Laubignat traveled as a member of the Chef Council on the groups visit to Japan this fall. It’s the focus on food above all else that is responsible for the company’s success, a mantra each chef repeated. Taher, who worked in kitchens since his college days, started the company in 1981, after working for Interstate United, a large foodservice contractor that began going through a series of mergers, acquisitions and break-ups. “That’s when I realized it was time to do something,” he said. Now, 28 years later, “We’ve got a lot of bumps and bruises and arrows, but we’re still here,” he joked. Here, and well-represented with hundreds of accounts in many states, including Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and California. Taher Inc. operates a wide variety of foodservice operations, including corporate offices, K-12 schools, assisted living facilities and universities. The company’s production kitchen in Plymouth, Minn., produces about 8,000 meals per day (half for Meals on Wheels and senior nutrition programs) and it leapt aggressively into the restaurant arena in Minnesota, first with the Wayzata Eatery in 2007, and with the recent purchases of Forepaugh’s and the Timberlodge Steakhouse chain. “What we really try to do is nothing terribly complicated—we try to prepare our meals from scratch,” Taher said. “And once we say that we’re going to prepare from scratch, that obviously requires a group of professionals.” As the company grew, Taher decided it needed a team to provide menu leadership, and ten years ago he started the Chef Council with six chefs (plus himself ). He has since expanded it to 12 members (with still another six rotating “guest” members, Taher said). The chefs are from each segment of Taher Inc.’s foodservice operations. He began taking the council to food destinations across the country: New York, San Francisco, Chicago, New Orleans. “Then, I think we just graduated from U.S. Cities,” he said, and traveling abroad became the norm. “It really is a huge thing for us, particularly for time and money, but the results, obviously, are very good.” The trips abroad began with northern Italy about six years ago, followed by trips to southern Italy, Spain (twice), and southern France. One result: “A lot of the menu items that we have, have that European touch,”Taher said. Then it was off to the Far East and Thailand, touring the area and diving into cooking classes. Then there was the ten days in Mexico City and surrounding areas. Turkey. Morocco. India. And, this fall, Japan. Laubignat, Miller and Augustine voices conveyed the excitement from the trip as they scrolled through digital photographs of the various markets, meals and eateries they encountered. Taher spun tales about all the trips, and arrived at a singular point: “What’s really exciting about these trips is not just the food, but you get to see the area, you get to experience the culture, the history, you get to smell it, feel it, and I think those are all really an integral part of what the experience with the food is.” It’s the experience (and all the notes collected) he expects each of the chefs to incorporate into menu development. “We eat and drink, really, all day,”Taher said with a laugh, adding that he gives the chefs cash and the chore of eating “anything your heart desires.” But Taher then said seriously, “There are really no rules, except just one rule: When you come back, you have to bring ideas for our customers. That’s obviously the purpose of it.” Miller, Augustine and Laubignat concurred. While it is fun, “we work hard on these trips,” Miller said. “We’re up early, and get into schools, restaurants (to see how they are operated).” Before the group leaves a country, Taher explained, the chefs meet, divide into their account categories, and make lists of all the items consumed that would work in their location, “because they know their equipment and their customers.” Photographs of each item are also compiled. Back home, the group meets for sessions in the company’s production kitchen in Plymouth. “We put on our chef coats and start producing all of these items, which is really kind of a hoot,” Taher said, laughing. But the development is very serious, and the Council chefs perfect flavors and document meticulously, tracking product numbers and costs from various suppliers, and procuring unavailable ingredients (usually spices) from elsewhere if necessary. The recipes, including photographs and product numbers, are then made available to all Taher Inc. accounts and chefs. Regular regional training seminars also keep chefs in and cooks up to speed on the new menu items. Impact on the company’s menus is widespread to all accounts, from simple, authentic and healthy Mexican fare at high schools, to Turkish kebobs and na’an at universities, to the chef stations and various cuisines served at an account such as HealthPartners corporate offices. And, there’s the obvious benefit for Taher Inc.’s restaurant chefs. The company treats its corporate account meals as they would in at a restaurant, by serving food on china, rather than disposable flatware and cutlery. It makes the point that the food being served doesn’t come from a box, Taher said, rather the hard work from a team of skilled chefs and cooks, starting with the Chef Council. “There’s a lot of talent in that group. It’s an awesome thing.” —Mike Mitchelson
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Taher, Inc. Professional Food Service Management HOUSTON STUDENTS GET A LESSON IN GOOD EATING. When the Houston public schools changed its lunch program at the beginning of the school year, students were a little reluctant to put fruits and vegetables on their trays. It didn't take long for that to change. "They've realized that to get a full meal, they need to sta...rt eating their vegetables," high school Principal Todd Lundberg said as he watched students make their way through the serving line last week. In previous years, the school district ran its own school lunch program, but elementary school Principal Rick Bartz said the school board wanted to increase the healthy food choices available to students while controlling costs, so they hired Taher Inc., a Minnesota-based food-service management company. The company also provides food service for students in Chatfield, Plainview, Fillmore Central and Mabel-Canton schools. While it has taken them some time to get used to the changes, Abigail Loken, 14, and Brandy Scanlan, 12, said they enjoy the greater variety of fruits and vegetables this year. "It's gotten a lot healthier," Loken said. Lundberg estimated that less than 5 percent of the student body brings a lunch from home. FRESH AND SEASONAL FOOD: Menus prepared by Taher chefs emphasize freshly prepared foods, more whole grains, no trans fats, legumes, minimally processed food and a decreased use of foods containing high fructose corn syrup. Each month the menu will focus on vegetables or fruits that are in season. In September, the menu included tomatoes, melons and corn. In October, the menu has focused on apples, and in November there will be an emphasis on whole grains. A few weeks back, many students were surprised to see kiwi and fresh raspberries in the lunch line. Even though students are getting foods they aren't use to, Taher chef Heidi Osterhaus said the garbage bins aren't filling up as fast. Osterhaus has a degree from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Mendota Heights, Minn. She's been trying to make most of the meals from scratch. ON THE MENU: Of course, there are some favorites that kids can't go without. Last Wednesday, students could choose from chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, corn, fresh carrots, lettuce salad, apples, oranges and leftover apple crisp. Two favorites are homemade pizza and homemade chicken noodle soup, Osterhaus said. So far, the amount of local foods has been limited because most produce is grown in the summer when school is out. Osterhaus hopes to work with local apple growers next season. School officials believe that good nutrition will have a positive effect on learning. "By making changes now, hopefully these students will adopt healthier lifestyles," Bartz said. What happened: Houston public schools has entered a food-service contract with Taher Inc., a Minnesota-based a food management company that focuses on fresh fruits and vegetables and foods made from scratch. Why it matters: With childhood obesity reaching epidemic proportions and the onset of Type 2 diabetes increasing every year, it's important that children get healthy lunches at school. What's next: Taher aims to support sustainable practices and introduce locally grown food to the school lunch menu.
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Taher, Inc. Professional Food Service Management
Changing the Look of School Lunch One Tray at a Time. We often think of school lunch as cardboard pizza and grey green beans, but for students at Concord Community Schools, lunch looks very different. Over the past year, students have enjoyed fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables as part of their school lunch. In... the fall of 2008, Food Service Director Alan Breneman began a Farm to School program in the school district and started sourcing produce from area farmers. Mr. Breneman became connected to local farmers through a partnership with Food System Economic Partnership, a non-profit in southeast Michigan that works to link farmers with consumers. As the 2009 school year begins to take shape, Mr. Breneman has expanded the district’s Farm to School program to include greater variety and more frequent offerings of local produce. Through the program, students learn who their farmers are and where they can buy fresh fruits and vegetables to eat at home. They are reminded to think locally through banners and signs hanging in the cafeteria and later this week they will learn how to prepare these fresh local ingredients. Later this week, Chef Brian Renz from Taher, a professional food management company, will visit Concord Schools and teach students how to prepare dishes such as Orange Chicken Stir-fry, Chili Cheese Relenos, Pork Taco Al Pastor or Chipotle Pepper Potatoes using ingredients from Kyrst Farms of Concord and Fusilier Family Farms of Manchester. Chef Renz’s visit comes at a time when awareness of school lunch and the foods our students eat is increasing. At the end of the month, the Child Nutrition Act expires and several groups are calling for the reauthorization of this act to focus on funding farm to school programs. Farm to School programs are good for the local economy as money spent on food purchases remain in the community, allowing for economic development and job creation.According to the National Farm to School Network “for every dollar spent on local foods in schools, one to three dollars circulate in the local economy.” For Michigan, that’s great news! As the second most agriculturally diverse state in the nation, our children have the opportunity to eat fresh, delicious, nutritious fruits and vegetables, while simultaneously helping boost the economy. To learn more about Farm to School in southeast Michigan and how you can get involved visit http://fsepmichigan.org/programs_project
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Taher, Inc. Professional Food Service Management A Chef in the Augusta High lunchroom. Taher Foods Corporate Chef Brian Renz visited the AHS lunchroom last Friday and dished up some Southwest Cuisine food items for students there. The students had a choice of Chef Brian's menu of rice, roasted corn, chicken, of pulled pork,and cheese sauce or chipotle cream sauce al...ong with fruit & vegetable bar and milk. Taher Foods expects to have a chef visit the local school lunchrooms periodically throughout the year. Taher also operates the kitchen services in Andover USD 385. By Staff reports. Augusta Gazette Mon Aug 17, 2009, 04:16 PM CDT
Taher, Inc. Professional Food Service Management Follow the Taher Chef Council on Twitter @taherChefTeam !
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Taher Chef Council: Traveling around the world as a team in order to stay on the cutting edge of the culinary field.
Taher, Inc. Professional Food Service Management
On October 1 Matt Quist , Executive Chef, Alaska Eatery & Glacier Bar, joined local celebrity chefs as they prepared delicious and sustainable gourmet ocean and freshwater dishes, complemented with fine wines, music, and a buffet. Matt prepared Alaskan Seafood Chowder garnished with a Herb Salad and Animal Crackers. ...For more information on Matt, clink on link. http://eventful.com/stpaul/events/fish-f
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Oct 1, 2009 (Thursday) at Minnesota Zoo. Get more details about this event on Eventful.
Taher, Inc. Professional Food Service Management Back to the Basics with Chef Brian Renz...
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Taher’s Corporate Chef Brian Renz explains the virtues of tomatoes during his presentation at Café Lawrence on Sept. 28 on how to prepare healthier meals. He talked about the basics of food shopping ...
Cooking healthy on a budget in your housing unit
Location:Cafe Lawrence
Time:11:00AM Monday, September 28th
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Diane Johnson washes dishes Thursday after serving around 200 lunches in the cafeteria of the Houston High School. It takes one to two hours to clean up after serving lunch. Photo By Michelle Kowalewski/Winona Daily News
Taher, Inc. Professional Food Service Management Positively Milwaukee: Lunch From the Farm
Positively Milwaukee: Lunch From the Farm | Today's TMJ4 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin News, Weather, Sport
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HARTFORD - Cornsalad and veggie paninis--all made from local produce! No, it's not the menu at a new downtown bistro, it's the menu at a local school.