By Ben Chaddha ’21 and Trisha Bala ’22, News Editors

        For 25 years, the Browers have served Newark Academy every day for lunch. The cafeteria itself is a family business. They’ve been accommodating for events and allergies. Everyday, NA community members are greeted with smiling faces from the staff in the lunchroom, and many even enjoy conversing with the lunch staff. When asked about the staff, one freshman said, “I really appreciate how Mrs. Brower has a smile on her face everyday, and always asks what we think of the lunch.” Another student says that “I enjoy seeing the staff in the cafeteria every day, and I hope that they keep a lot of the staff for next year because they’ve been a part of our community for a very long time.” Over the years, Mr. and Mrs. Brower have carefully planned out lunch menus for each and every lunch, yet it appears their time at N.A. is coming to an end.

The Newark Academy lunches have been receiving a lot of mixed feedback in the past few years. Some students feel that the quality and variety has decreased while others are satisfied with the lunches they are served. The students who believe that the quality is decreasing feel that their favorite lunches are rarely ever served, meaning that they are forced to eat grilled cheeses, PB & J, or cereal regularly. One student said, “I believe that the standard of the Newark Academy lunch has gone down since I started school here.  The school often repeats lunches that are not very popular in the student body and doesn’t take into consideration the lunches that are well liked by the students. My dislike of some of the lunches forces me to make a PB&J 2-3 times per week.” The students who are satisfied with the lunches think highly of the staff and quality. A student said, “I really like that Mrs. Brower always comes around at lunch to see what we like and don’t like. Also, she sometimes add new things to the menu, like dumplings.”

In early May it was announced that Newark Academy would be  switching to a different dining service: Sage Dining. On their website, Sage Dining Services state that they have been “serving independent schools and colleges with love since 1990.” Sage believes in serving students freshly grown local food and in creating a different menu for each community that they serve. Sage says that they make “real food,” in an attempt to highlight their process of  cooking everything from scratch. In addition, Sage “roasts their own deli meats, uses the freshest local produce available, buys cage free eggs, and hormone free milk.” In addition, Sage doesn’t believe in wasting food; all of their food is prepared in small batches and they only cook as much as they need. They are a sustainable company, call themselves “stewards of the earth’s resources,” and are committed to our planet. As stated before, since Sage creates custom menus, it is hard to know exactly what types of food Newark Academy will be served next year, but Sage guarantees fresh, wholesome food and smiling chefs/servers.

Online, Sage Dining Services has received many mixed reviews. Some speak highly of the company while others share very negative feedback on the food the company serves. For example, one review found on Google gave the company a five-star rating, stating, “ Not only is it a great place to eat and a boon to our university as food service, it’s a wonderful place of employment with a good work life balance and decent pay and benefits.” Another review found on Google has given the company a one-star review and says, “First of all I’m glad that I haven’t died of bubonic plague yet. I am always literally spitting the food out. My friends and I write comments but Sage doesn’t care.”

Other private day schools in the area also use Sage dining service, including Pingry. During Ben’s time at Pingry, the food was average, but one thing that set it apart from the dining service we currently have at NA is that Sage Dining has many more options. At Pingry, there were two stations where you could get some sort of hot sandwich or salad which would often be something like a Cuban sandwich or caesar salad. There was also pasta with different sauces every day; each day Sage would serve marinara sauce and one other sauce that would vary from day to day. There was also a hot food station, sandwich station, and salad bar. The amount of different nourishing options Sage provides allows for almost everyone to find something to eat. One Pingry student said, “I’ve never had a problem with Sage Dining. They always provide a lot of different choices, so there’s usually something there for everyone.” Another said, “Sage Dining provides nutrients to fuel my education. That’s about all I can say…” Hopefully, the new dining service will allow for more options for everyone. Lunch is a crucial part of the day for most students at NA because it not only provides a break for students, but it also allows them to refuel for the second half of a rigorous academic day.  A Newark Academy freshman said, “I am a little concerned about the reviews I saw online, but I feel like it is time for a change.” Another NA freshman says, “I don’t know much about the service and have heard many negative reviews. I was satisfied with the lunch this year.” The new lunch service can be accommodating for many different diets found at NA so that everyone in the Newark Academy community can find something nourishing and delicious to eat for lunch. Many of the students’ feelings towards NA center around the lunch that is served. The lunch that Sage serves NA next year will either brighten days or could have a  negative impact on the students and their school life. The Browers have done a great job of serving the students of NA for the past many years, but it is time for something new.