It’s a Great Day To Be a (Hungry) Wildcat

Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Studentd Dining at Holloway Commons

Students dining at Holloway Commons, UNH's flagship dining hall

UNH Dining staff member

A member of the UNH Dining team carves up
Roast Leg of Rex at the Toy Story Dinner. 

Roast Leg of Rex, anyone? Or how about a Cosmic Cupcake? It’s not what’s usually on the menu at UNH dining halls, but for one night this past winter the chefs and bakers at Holloway Commons, all in costume, served up Trixie’s Treasures (vegan chop suey), Emperor Zurg’s flying saucers (bagel meatball pizza), Buttercup Brew (lentil soup) and dozens of other cleverly named dishes during a Toy Story-themed dinner.

The event created quite a buzz on campus. And, it caught the attention of the National Association of College and University Food Services, which recently awarded UNH Dining an honorable mention in the 2015 Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards “Special Event” category, one of two honors UNH received in this year’s Loyal Horton Awards, which recognizes excellence in collegiate foodservice. The university also received a bronze medal in the “Dining Concepts” category, for its seven specialty areas and Mongolian Grill at Philbrook Dining Hall.

Both awards add to the long list of honors UNH Dining has received during the years in recognition of its creative concepts, practices and cuisine.

It’s little wonder, then, that when the folks at the college ranking site Niche recently set out to find the colleges with the best on-campus dining experiences, UNH showed up in the top 20

A Winning Organization

UNH Dining Services has earned several awards during the years and has been nominated for Restaurants and Institutions magazine’s Ivy Award, which recognizes exemplary foodservice operators. Here’s a snapshot. 

2015 – UNH Ranks 22nd in 2015 Cappies for Best College Food 

2014 – UNH Dining Services Receives N.H. Employment Leadership Award 

2014 – UNH Dining Receives First Disability Commission Award 

2013 – Second Place in the Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards Contest for Harry Potter Theme Dinner

2013 – Second Place for Retail Sales-Single Concept “UNH Dairy Bar” in the Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards Contest

2012 – FoodService Director magazine Goldies award for Health & Wellness (Read article) 

2012 – Second Place in Best Vegan Recipe content hosted by National Association of College & University Food Services (Read article

2011 – Third Place in Most Innovative Nutrition Program Contest sponsored by the National Association of College & University Food Services for “Eat Right. With Color.” Entry (Read article

2010 – Third Place in 2010 Most Innovative Nutrition Program content hosted by the National Association of College & University Food Services for the “UNH Tropical Lunch With Guiding Stars” theme meal

UNH Dining Awards prior to 2010