The University of North Texas in Denton has transformed its dining hall in West Hall into one of the nation’s first allergen-free dining experiences on a college campus.
The university says Kitchen West is the second all-you-care-to-eat collegiate dining hall in the nation and first in Texas to be completely free of the “Big 8” food allergens—milk, eggs, fish, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, soy and shellfish.
UNT Dining Services already clearly labels foods containing allergens at all dining halls on campus, but last fall decided to create a dedicated space for students, faculty and staff who can’t consume some or all of the “Big 8” food allergens.
“We wanted to offer this unique dining experience so that members of our community who have food allergies could eat worry-free,” says Peter Balabuch, executive director of UNT Dining Services. “At Kitchen West, the ‘Big 8’ allergens will never touch any of the foods or the utensils and equipment used for preparation and serving. That’s a reassuring thing for those individuals with food allergies and for the parents of our students.”
Over the summer, chefs worked to develop allergen-free recipes. They tested their creations at Bruceteria, another campus dining hall, to get feedback from customers.
“I have a whole new mindset in my recipe development,” says Kitchen West supervisor Amber Duncan. “This has been a huge learning process, and we’ve come up with some flavorful items that are already receiving great feedback. We’ll continue to add new foods to the menu, so we can incorporate our students’ favorites.”
Kitchen West also received a makeover with new furniture and paint to lighten and modernize the space. Signage throughout educates patrons on the “Big 8” food allergens and UNT’s Kitchen Principles.
