From Mystery Chef to Composting: How Brecksville-Broadview Heights is Raising the Bar in School Nutrition

David Pisanick
1 hour ago
3 min read

At Pisanick Partners, we love sharing stories of school nutrition leaders who inspire change and innovation in their cafeterias. This time, we’re spotlighting Amy Voigt, Director of Food Service at Brecksville-Broadview Heights City Schools - and the driving force behind initiatives that engage staff, excite students, and make school lunch a true extension of the classroom.

A Career Built on Passion for School Nutrition

Amy’s journey began during her dietetic internship, where she fell in love with her school food service rotation. She started her career in schools right out of graduate school and never looked back.

“No two days are the same,” Amy says. “You interact with great students, work with an amazing staff, and it’s just a really rewarding career path.”

She also makes it a priority to inspire the next generation, often taking interns and giving them a behind-the-scenes look at how rewarding, and fun, school food service can be.

Building “Menu Morale” and Staff Buy-In

One of Amy’s biggest strengths is fostering a positive, creative environment for her staff. She knows that motivated teams lead to better menus and more engaged students.

Her approach?

Consistent communication - Visiting kitchens weekly, asking what’s working, and encouraging staff to share ideas.
Openness to change - Willing to try new ideas, pivot if they don’t work, and never forcing a concept to stick if it flops.
Collaborative projects - Encouraging staff to take part in special events like Mystery Chef.

Mystery Chef: Creativity in Action

The Mystery Chef competition challenged Amy’s team to create new recipes using a box of surprise ingredients.

Staff from multiple schools collaborated on ideas, tested recipes, and refined them with student feedback.
Two of the three recipes were so popular they made it onto the spring menu - including the Meatball Stromboli, made with locally sourced dough.

“If staff feel the repetition of a menu item, students definitely do,” Amy notes. “Creative projects like this keep things fresh.”

Innovation from Day One

Amy stepped into her role during the opening of a brand-new kitchen. With all staff learning together, she emphasized quality over quantity and set the tone for an adaptable, forward-thinking program.

One of her standout achievements: launching a produce bar.

Started with every possible fruit and vegetable, then refined to a smaller variety, well-stocked and appealing.
Adjusted for age levels - extra help for kindergarteners learning to use tongs.
Highlighted new items by labeling them and noting their origin to spark student curiosity.

Composting for a Greener Cafeteria

Beyond menu innovation, Amy has led environmental initiatives like partnering with Rust Belt Riders for pre-consumer composting.

All produce scraps and unusable food from prep go into compost bins instead of the trash.
Bins are stored in freezers overnight to avoid pests.
Staff embraced the program quickly once they saw it was simply “throwing food away in a different kind of can.”

A Leader Who Lifts Others

Amy’s leadership goes beyond her own district, she’s active in local School Nutrition Association work and is always willing to share ideas with other directors.

And for the record? Her favorite childhood school lunch was the Popcorn Chicken Bowl - mashed potatoes, chicken, gravy, and all.

Takeaways from Amy’s Approach

Engage staff early and often - communication builds trust and creativity.
Be willing to pivot - not every new menu idea will stick.
Think beyond the plate - produce bars and composting show students that food service is about health and sustainability.
Make professional development fun - competitions like Mystery Chef spark innovation and collaboration.