Feeding Those in Need: The Broadmoor Leads Growing ‘Food Rescue’ Movement
August 17, 2018
For 100 years, The Broadmoor has represented the bold idea of Spencer Penrose: a grand hotel where European elegance meets Western hospitality, all in a setting of unrivaled beauty. Today, the property continues to pioneer new ideas and opportunities to deliver on its commitment to community, cuisine and culture.
The Broadmoor has been on the cutting edge of the sustainable food movement, including growing produce on the property’s garden and greenhouse for its 20 restaurants and cafés, as well as harvesting honey from its own hives and raising Wagyu beef at the resort’s ranch. In addition, the resort partners with a long list of niche purveyors, both local and international, including Colorado Springs’ award-winning Red Leg Brewing Company, which brews an exclusive beer for Broadmoor guests, and Valhrona Chocolate, whose custom Broadmoor blend is used extensively in the resort’s in-house chocolate program.
Now, the resort is leading the “Food Rescue” charge in Colorado Springs to provide a steady supply of donated food originally prepared for buffets and events in hotels across the city that otherwise would have gone to waste – food that has never been out of the kitchen and is repurposed for those in need.
The program is a partnership with Springs Rescue Mission, the largest shelter for people in need in Colorado Springs. The Broadmoor is the first local entity to provide the shelter with a steady supply of prepared food, with more than 3,500 pounds of food donated to the organization in 2017 alone.
The partners are now calling on other members of the Pikes Peak Lodging Association to join the endeavor.
“When you’re thinking about the waste that occurs, that goes to the landfill, as well as the waste that occurs that could benefit somebody, the good that this does is invaluable to the community and the environment,” Jack Damioli said, noting that food waste in landfills generate methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
Part of a growing trend, the idea of “food rescue” represents a mission to end hunger by tapping grocers, restaurants and other food industry sources to donate food that would have otherwise been thrown away to programs that serve people and families. The Broadmoor’s program is modeled on Washington’s D.C. Central Kitchen, a nationally known “community kitchen” targeting to end the cycle of hunger and poverty.
With the resort preparing excess food for each buffet-style event, the unused food – and possibilities for feeding those in need – are substantial.
How much food is rescued – and how often – depends on the season and what events are being held; at peak season, Jack Damioli envisions donations three or four times a week.
Proteins, grains and vegetables have all been donated by The Broadmoor and distributed through the partnership, with the ingredients then carefully prepared and adjusted to meet specific dietary standards and preferences.
The Broadmoor’s Jack Damioli is hoping the city’s other hotels, resorts and restaurants follow suit. “We are happy to take the lead in this, but really this is bigger than The Broadmoor.”