By Amy O’Grady

“We wanted our own firsthand look at how students’ lunches are planned and prepared,” notes Mary Beth Schmidt, who organized last week’s breakfast meeting and tour of Granite School District’s 84,000 square foot Bates Central Kitchen.

She and fellow assistant principals and directors saw 240-gallon mixers, temperature-controlled ovens where whole turkeys are roasted to perfection, and the deli cold room where gourmet salads and sandwiches are assembled by hand.

Director of Food Services Rich Prall, Manager Betsy Scholl and Production Manager Joy Ashley were key players in the building design and adaptation of operations within the facility, which opened in July 2011. It is one of the largest industrial kitchens in North America, supporting the production of nearly 10 million meals every school year.

Teachers interested in scheduling class tours may contact Amy O’Grady in Food Services at (385) 646-1530.