Chartwells Announces Made Without Gluten Dining Program and Partnership with Bready® to Serve College Students with Special Dietary Needs

RYE BROOK, N.Y., Nov. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services and Bready North America,  creator of the first fully-automatic bread machine approved by the Celiac Sprue Association, are proud to announce an exclusive partnership aligned with Chartwells' made without gluten dining program.

As part of Chartwells' Eat.Learn.Live. philosophy and service commitment to providing college students with great tasting healthy options, Chartwells is pleased to partner with Bready® to provide guests who have Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivity with freshly made, moist, flavorful bread and cake products made specifically without gluten ingredients. 

Bready® machines were piloted at select college and university dining halls in conjunction with Chartwells' made without gluten program to address the needs of students with gluten sensitivity which is characterized by an adverse reaction to the gluten protein found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye, and oats. The Bready® products and new program have been well received at dining operations managed by Chartwells at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, University of Miami, Quinnipiac University, the University of Nevada Reno, and the University of Maryland Baltimore County just to name a few.

Bready®, The Bread That Loves You Back

Bready® is a countertop-sized robotic baking system designed in Sweden that produces freshly baked products on-site within about two hours.  Students can enjoy over a dozen different bread and cake mix selections such as olive and sun dried tomato, pecan spice, apple cinnamon and chocolate.  Bready® offerings also include popular student staples like freshly made burger buns and pizza crust. Mixes come in pre-sealed biodegradable bags eliminating product exposure to the environment which is a very important aspect when defining foods labeled as made without gluten.

Holly Smith-Berry, president & CEO of Bready North America, said, "We're excited to partner with Chartwells to provide unique, great tasting, fresh baked foods to a growing student population who must adhere to a gluten-restricted diet. Bready is a turnkey baking solution that combines patented software and mechanics to automatically knead, rise and bake our all-natural, proprietary mixes---all in a compact machine. The finished products are soft, evenly textured breads, cakes, pizza crust, buns and muffins."  

The Bready® machine and mixes carry the Celiac Sprue Association's (CSA) Recognition Seal which verifies that as a manufacturer Bready® has met or exceeded CSA's standards in representing the product to be free of wheat, barley, rye and oats, their derivatives and crosses in product, processing or packaging.  The baking process is fully automated, requiring no intervention and minimal clean up. The empty mix bag can be discarded or recycled after the baking cycle.

Chartwells Recipes Minus Gluten

A variety of Chartwells recipes from classic favorites to familiar fare with a modern twist have been introduced to resident dining and catering operations on campuses specifically for gluten sensitive guests. A solid recipe set was also developed from foods that naturally do not contain gluten. Chartwells nutrition experts and regional chefs from the Chartwells Culinary Network have also created a training program around the recipes about proper preparation and serving techniques when feeding guests with gluten sensitivity. Some recipes include cinnamon French toast, vegetable pakoras, tikka fish skewers with yogurt and pappadams, korma chicken curry and spicy Middle Eastern meatloaf just to name a few.

Chef Michael Lemon, Chartwells' Vice President of Culinary Innovations said, "Many commercially pre-packaged, pre-manufactured products have a high price tag and are not affordable for many students.  With our made without gluten batch cooking, students with gluten sensitivity now have many more meal options and are no longer destined to eat at the salad bar every day." Special meals are clearly identified for students and Chartwells' on-site culinary teams are available to assist guests with any questions.

Meeting the Needs of Students and Clients

Since gluten particles can become airborne, truly dedicated gluten free dining facilities have not made their way onto college campuses yet; although, special food preparation areas are being examined and utilized at this time.

According to Laura Lapp MS, RD, Chartwells' Director of Nutrition, "Over the years we have received increasing inquiries from parents and students about food sensitivities along with requests for our menu cycles to see what foods are edible. Now, not only does the Chartwells made without gluten program accommodate current students' needs with regard to this particular food protein sensitivity, but it also provides a valuable resource for recruitment and retention efforts for our clients.  We're proud to provide this service and products not only from Bready®, but also from the entire Chartwells culinary and nutrition teams in support of the special dietary needs of our students and campus communities."

About Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services

Chartwells, a division of Compass Group North America, provides dining services for over 230 colleges and universities nationwide.  For more information about Chartwells, visit www.EatLearnLive.com or www.DineonCampus.com.

About Bready® North America

Bready North America is a privately held corporation based in Columbia, Missouri dedicated to providing gluten-free solutions through its machine and mixes sold in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.  For more information visit www.MyBready.com or www.Breadymedia.com.

SOURCE Chartwells