Photo by Christina VanHorn,
UNH Human Resources

Twenty-seven years ago, Cheryl Krantz entered UNH as a freshman majoring in forestry. After 27 years she is still here, although her direction has changed a bit. During her first year at UNH, to make a bit of money, Krantz applied and was hired for the position of Baker's Assistant at the UNH bakery at Stillings Hall.

While her time in the food industry and with the bakery were just beginning, her days as forestry major and a UNH undergrad were rapidly coming to a close. After one year in the Bakers Assistant position she was promoted to Baker One, a full time position that included benefits. She left school, got married, had two children and went on to become Manager of the bakery for the next 20 years. A very rewarding position that allowed Krantz to work early hours Monday-Friday, perfect for a working mother.

The bakery, which is no longer in operation, made everything from bread to cakes to muffins and cookies, all from scratch. The bakery supplied the three dining halls, catering department and MUB Food Service on campus and was a "great learning environment for student interns" who worked in the bakery as part of their studies, said Krantz. During Krantz's time at the bakery, the "Send a Smile" program was also started, which allowed parents to send gift packages of baked goods to their students at UNH.

"We would always get insane projects to do," laughed Krantz. Some of the most memorable included a cake made to resemble Main Street in Durham and the Thompson Hall cake, made annually for the Ben Thompson Day on campus.

Today, Krantz is the Assistant Manager for dining services at the Philbrook dining hall. After 23 years at the bakery, Krantz sadly left her position, as the bakery shut its doors due to costs. In her new position as Assistant Manager, Krantz has many duties including ordering all the food and supplies for Philbrook, supervising culinary staff, coordinating menu improvements and changes with the menu management system and culinary staff, and maintaining food costs according to budget requirements. She also says that it is her job to keep up to date with new technology and stay ahead of trends.

Krantz says her favorite part of the job is developing new recipes. The challenge comes in "planning appealing menus that are also cost effective. During this time of year things become even more challenging as the price of produce rises," she says. In recent years specialized diets have become a main concern among food providers. Vegan and Organic items are in high demand at UNH and are not cheap. Similarly, requests for gluten free food have been on the rise. Krantz and other members of the Dining staff have been working with diatetic interns to develop gluten free menus to be offered at the UNH dining halls.

Philbrook recently underwent renovations, a process Krantz says was very exciting to be involved in, and there are plans for a second renovation within the next few years. It is a delightful, clean, beautiful hall to eat at and even features large screen televisions for the viewing pleasures of its diners. And this is exactly the environment Krantz strives for. It is clear after talking to her that she takes her work seriously and strives every day to make Philbrook a pleasant place to dine. "Customer service is very important. You have to put the customer first. A lot of schools take that for granted, thinking students don't have a choice of where they eat because they must buy a meal plan if they live on campus," she says, "My mindset is to go above and beyond. It doesn't matter that you're a student who has to eat here. Your meals should be as exciting and delicious as they are in area restaurants." The salad bar sits at the entrance, enticing diners to munch on greens and veggies. But if salads aren't your thing there is plenty more to choose from. Philbrook offers everything from a Mongolian grill, offering stir-fry varieties, Rotisserie chicken, made fresh nightly, to a cold-cut sandwich station, vegan dishes, pizza, an array of cereals and much more.

Krantz attributes much of her success to Jean Harley and Hannah Dawson, co-workers who showed her a feeling towards people and life that Krantz has clearly internalized and brought forth in her work today. Hannah Dawson was a dietician who "pushed people to improve menus and to adapt to different needs, for example, by using ethnic and vegan foods" said Krantz, "Her attitude was that students are here to learn so they should also be learning about food." Jean Harley made a strong impression on Krantz in regard to how to effectively manage people. "She was a great manager that cared about people and treated everyone with respect," said Krantz.

"I really appreciate being in this environment. I have learned a ton and have been allowed to travel more than I probably would have in any other job," said Krantz, "There are a lot of educational opportunities." With her two kids now in college (her daughter is a sophomore at UNH, and her son is a freshman at Plymouth) Krantz feels that she has fulfilled one of her longtime goals of seeing her kids enter college at a fraction of the price due to her position at the university. When she is not working, Krantz enjoys spending time with family, playing with her new dog Sadie and cooking, even when she is at home.