Overview
Menus of Change Leadership Summit: The Business of Healthy, Sustainable, Delicious Food Choices is a ground-breaking leadership initiative launched in 2012 by The Culinary Institute of America and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health that works to realise a long-term, practical vision integrating optimal nutrition and public health, environmental stewardship and restoration, and social responsibility concerns within the foodservice industry and the culinary profession. In just its first nine years, Menus of Change has established a compelling new agenda for the foodservice industry through an annual leadership summit at the CIA’s Hyde Park campus, an annually updated compilation of resources on the state of the industry, and an ongoing series of tools and guidance for foodservice professionals. Menus of Change also informs The Culinary Institute of America’s approach to educating the next generation of culinary and business leaders.
Who is this for?
This event is for thought leaders, decision makers, and policy visionaries from food service operations in the TUCO membership, who would like to explore the Menus of Change support on how to deliver on taste, health, and sustainability—without sacrificing business and / or budgetary objectives.
If you are interested in attending - please send your expression of interest to Sarah Mcloughlin at [email protected] and you will be informed when the booking form goes live.
Why should I take part?
Over the last 12+ years, Menus of Change, jointly led by The Culinary Institute of America and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health—Department of Nutrition, has shifted the way chefs and foodservice professionals approach public health, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility.
The Menus of Change Leadership Summit features over 40 presenters, including nutrition and environmental scientists, consumer insight experts, chefs and culinary entrepreneurs, CIA faculty, business leaders and investment analysts, industry sector innovators, and other food systems changemakers. The topics addressed are critically relevant to chefs and operators working to secure the financial viability of their restaurants and foodservice operations while also advancing healthy, sustainable, delicious foods and menus.
In addition to high impact general sessions, attendees have an opportunity to participate in a variety of in-depth breakout sessions to see Menus of Change principles in action and to exchange questions and insights with general session speakers and fellow attendees. Please see MOC_Overview_2025.pdf for an idea of what to expect at the 2026 summit.
The Menus of Change Summit faculty includes industry experts, featuring top talent including nutrition and environmental scientists, consumer insight experts, chefs and culinary entrepreneurs, business leaders and investment analysts, industry sector innovators, journalists and climate communications specialists, suppliers large and small, food systems change-makers, world cuisine experts, policy advocates, futurists, biodiversity leaders, and more. You can see the presenter list when it goes live here.
How will it help me?
During the event, you will benefit from…
- An opportunity to engage in dialogue with not only boundary-pushing foodservice industry peers but also a diverse cross-section of leading scientists, public sector innovators, NGO and think tank analysts, who―collectively―stand to shape the future of the foodservice industry
- Culinary, sourcing, and business strategies for operationalising the Menus of Change 24 Principles of Healthy, Sustainable Menus
- Lessons learned from real-world case studies in advancing health and sustainability imperatives across a wide range of operations and sectors of the foodservice and restaurant industry
- A visit to Yale University and meeting the Dining and Accommodation team
What’s included?
- Transport to the USA and the Summit
- Overnight accommodation during your stay
- All site visits including entry to the Summit
- Food and drink each day
What’s not included?
Anything not listed on the itinerary including, but not limited to:
- Additional drinks, room service, trips not on the itinerary etc.
Provisional Itinerary:
A provisional itinerary and costs will be made available closer to the time. Final itineraries will be emailed approx. 1 week prior to the event commencement.
Flight details:
31 MAY Manchester Terminal 2 1550 departure / JFK 1815 arrival
06JUNE JFK-MAN Terminal 2 2030/0824*1 (arrives 0824 on the 7th of June)
You can find out more about the conference and the Culinary Institute of America here.
