Fresh & Feta at Perry Place now offers allergen-friendly food
Fresh & Feta sits on the second floor of Perry Place at Hitt Hall, the second dining center to be built on the academic side of campus. Photo by Darren Van Dyke for Virginia Tech.
Fresh & Feta has revamped its menu to be allergen-friendly, and all recipes now omit the top nine major allergens.
Fresh & Feta serves Mediterranean cuisine, and customers can build and customize bowls with various leaf or grain bases, proteins, toppings, and sauces. Selections include bases such as rice, lentils, and mixed greens; proteins such as falafel, braised lamb, and a new honey harissa chicken; and toppings such as fire roasted corn, pickled onions, grilled asparagus, red pepper hummus, and tzatziki sauce.
While the new recipes omit the most common allergens, some items may still be produced in facilities that contain them. Those allergens include milk, tree nuts, soy, eggs, sesame, peanuts, wheat, fish, and shellfish.
Photo of the falafel bowl with toppings offered. Photo by Darren Van Dyke for Virginia Tech.
Photo of baklava offered in packages away from shop. Photo by Darren Van Dyke for Virginia Tech.
Fresh & Feta employees will continue to sanitize and clean according to food safety standards to support the allergen-friendly menu. Quality alternatives have been researched and hand-picked to replace any top nine allergen ingredients in existing recipes. All food safety practices have remained the same with the addition of certain processes to minimize cross-contact.
Feta cheese will be the only allergen-containing menu item offered, so it will be separated and pre-packaged.
Executive Chef for Dining Services Scott Surratt aims for the alternative selections to keep or exceed the same standard of taste.
“While it’s been challenging, it’s also been fun to use new techniques and bring the team together to create allergen-friendly food,” said Surratt. “We want it to taste better or just as good as the previous options for us to feel ready to serve it.”
By spring, Fresh & Feta plans to regularly cycle its menu with different proteins, toppings, and sauces. They will all be free of the top nine major allergens.
In both JP’s Chophouse at West End and Gauchos at Dietrick Hall’s D2, no items sold or served contain gluten. Olives in D2 serves entirely vegan and vegetarian food, and Allee in Dietrick Hall sells allergen-friendly retail items.
