The Music City Center, through its ongoing commitment to use regionally and locally sourced products and recipes, just received its re-certification with Eat REAL. REAL (Responsible Epicurean and Agricultural Leadership) is a nationwide program that helps combat diet-related disease by recognizing food service operators committed to holistic nutrition and environmental stewardship. MCC was the first convention center to become Eat REAL Certified in 2014.
“We are proud to showcase fresh, locally sourced ingredients,” says Charles Starks, president and CEO of the MCC. “By utilizing these Tennessee products, we strive to create an exceptional dining experience reflecting our region.”
Highlights from the MCC’s re-certification also include minimizing of the kitchen’s environmental impact by composting, recycling and utilizing the whole animal, and the abundance of made-in-house menu customization for vegan, vegetarian and other diets.
MCC Executive Chef Max Knoepfel says, “It gives me great pride and joy to be re-certified. We want only the best culinary experience for our guests and therefore select fresh, nutritional and local ingredients from farms in the area.”
Eat REAL Tennessee is supported by the State of Tennessee Department of Health’s Project Diabetes.
Eat REAL Program Manager Nikkole Turner says, “Eat REAL is pleased to partner with the Tennessee Department of Health and committed food service operators like the Music City Center to contribute to reducing diet-related disease within the state while also highlighting local and regional products. MCC has been a great example of what can be accomplished with dedicated leadership.”
The Music City Center has been designed from the ground up to meet the client’s specific needs. With 350,000 sq.ft. of exhibit hall space, their facility has the technology and equipment to ensure that needs are met. For more info, visit https://www.nashvillemusiccitycenter.com/
Established in 2011, Eat REAL is a non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to fighting diet-related disease by realigning the food industry’s incentives with consumers’ health interests. The organization receives financial support through grants from the Tennessee Department of Health, the Park Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation President’s Grant Fund of the Princeton Area Community Foundation. Eat REAL works towards its mission through the Responsible Epicurean and Agricultural Leadership (REAL) Certification, which assesses and certifies food and food-service establishments based on their utilization of nutrition and sustainability best practices. For more info, visit http://www.eatreal.org
