You might not realize it, but in addition to providing our 700 feeding partners with food to distribute to folks in need, the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma prepares several hundred meals every day for individuals, seniors, veterans, and more!
These meals are prepared by our dedicated and talented team of chefs. The group’s leader, Chief Culinary Officer Jeff Marlow, was one of just a handful of talented chefs from across the country who were selected for the 2023 Produce Excellence in Foodservice Awards! Chef Jeff was nominated by the Ben E. Keith company, the nation’s 5th largest food service distributor. “I highly recommended Chef Jeff for this award because of his exceptional contribution to the community. He has dedicated his life to helping others and it is inspiring to witness firsthand. He is an incredible ambassador of the culinary arts and a true leader in our community,” Nolen Cleaves Assistant General Manager, Ben E. Keith Foods Oklahoma.
The awards program pays special tribute to chefs and food service operators for excellence in the use of fresh produce in the culinary arts! It’s all made possible by FreshEdge, one of the largest independently owned fresh food distributors in the country, distributing over 70 million cases of fresh produce, proteins, specialty processed produce, grab-and-go offerings and specialty foods annually.
“We are so excited to recognize outstanding innovative chefs and foodservice operators who showcase and bring to life the fresh produce industry each and every day,” said Steve Grinstead, CEO FreshEdge.
Officials from all organizations involved came to the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma to honor Chef Jeff as well as take a tour of our recent expansion project!
Chef Jeff has worked at the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma for almost 10 years and says “I am honored for this award and it’s because of our team at the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma! It is our mission to serve our guests with dignity and the highest quality of meals we can with the ingredients we get daily.”
