What’s your favourite flavour of the season? At the Seasoned Spoon Café, there are many appetizing options to choose from. University is definitely the place to discover new tastes. Perhaps in literature, community arts, activism or active living. Here at the Spoon however, we are most interested in the taste of sustainably sourced, seasonal cuisine. Believe us when we say we do local food flavour well. Come on by the café and try it out for yourself!
The Seasoned Spoon cafe is perhaps one of the most unique and vibrant flavours around the Trent campus. This not-for-profit vegetarian cooperative café is situated in a visually striking location just north of the Great Hall in Champlain College. The café space boasts a scenic view of the Otonabee River and a relaxing atmosphere where you can wind down from the everyday stresses of student life. Food is at the core of everything the Spoon does and our food sourcing practices are rooted in our vision of a sustainable and just food system. The Spoon is committed to serving locally, and whenever possible, organically sourced food at affordable prices. We prioritize cultivating meaningful relationships with local farmers, paying those farmers fairly and supporting a sustainable regional food system.
Interested in tasting the flavour for yourself yet? You can find the Spoon open with delectable edibles of all kinds from 8:00am-3:30pm on Mondays and Fridays and from 8:00am-6:00pm Tuesdays through Thursdays while classes are in session. The café menu is, of course, inspired by the changing seasons and always features a diverse selection of creatively prepared dishes. It is our aim to ensure that we meet all dietary needs and our daily menu includes a variety of vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options. Some fabulous fall flavours you won’t want to miss include roasted garden vegetable soup, eggplant parmesan, melt in your mouth lasagna, or a fresh garden greens & hummus wrap.
While the flavour of the food is indeed important, the Seasoned Spoon offers more than just delicious, ethically-sourced eats. The Seasoned Spoon is an open collegial space welcoming students, staff, faculty and community members to relax, socialize and study, build networks or engage in discussion and debate. Its also a great place to host meetings, book events or hold a study group. The Spoon endeavours to act as a space on campus where community members can increase their awareness of food issues and be inspired to action
In fact, a central part of the Seasoned Spoon Café’s mandate is to offer educational opportunities to the campus and broader Peterborough community. There are lots of ways to get involved in Spoon programming and dig deeper into the food system. Join us for one of our weekly Wednesday workshops on DIY food-based skills such as canning, fermenting or seasonal vegetarian cooking. Get involved in a Spoon student research project or service learning placement. Dine with us during our annual Harvest Feast or help organize a by-donation community meal. We always say one of the best ways of learning is through doing, so why not sign up as a volunteer in the Spoon Kitchen?
Interested in the growing end of things? One of our most important producers and partners is the Trent Vegetable Gardens (TVG), a student levy group at which manages two ecological garden sites at Trent. Much of the produce used in the Spoon kitchen comes from the TVG and our partnership with the gardens represents a field to table campus food system that provides not just campus-grown foods to students and community members, but also opportunities for learning and growth all the way from seed to fork. Get in touch with us to get involved. You may just find that food sustainability is the flavour of the season that interests you most.