Hillsborough schools hires real chef

Posted Sep 21, 2010 by Dennis Joyce

Updated Sep 21, 2010 at 04:40 PM

Lunch is served at King High School in Hillsborough.

Ben Guggenmos has been hired as the Hillsborough school district’s first “district chef.”

Guggenmos, a South Carolina native who comes from a family of chefs, will show the district’s food service staff new ways of preparing healthier and more attractive meals.

He is a licensed dietician who has worked with restaurants and hospitals, including Whole Foods Market and the food-service contractor Aramark, the district said in a news release.

In addition, Guggenmos plans to offer hands-on cooking lessons and activities for all grade levels.

Guggenmos will work with the district’s Student Nutrition Services Department.

Here’s a look at the department by the numbers:

• $95 million self-sustaining annual budget

• 200,000 meals each day for students and staff

• Sixth largest feeding program in the country

• More than 1,900 student nutrition employees, most assigned to individual schools

Click here for our government salaries database to learn more about who works in administration with Student Nutrition Services.