Awards & Certifications
Learn more about our awards and certifications
Our Awards
Iron Chef
Carleton has been participating in the Inter-University Iron Chef Competition for a number of years. A total of five teams participated, including Dalhousie University, McGill University, UMass Amherst, University of Ottawa and Carleton University. We are the reining champions! Learn more about our win here.
Carleton Dining Services ranked second in Canada for 2nd year in a row
Carleton has been ranked 2nd in ‘Great Food’ for the 2nd year in a row in Maclean’s University Rankings.
To see for yourself, visit the links below and adjust the sliders to only display the food ranking.
2020: https://www.macleans.ca/macleans-university-guide-2020-build-your-own-ranking/
2019: https://www.macleans.ca/education-hub/macleans-university-guide-2019-build-your-own-ranking/
Our Certifications
SPE Certification
Our dining hall is three-star SPE certified!
This certification highlights our commitment to serve nutritionally balanced and environmentally sustainable food. We are the only Canadian university to have a 3-star rating.
SPE Certified works closely with Carleton’s Registered Dietitian to answer over 350 questions about our operational priorities, product sourcing, menu offerings, preparation techniques, communication practices, and environmental stewardship programs. This certification reassures students and parents of our commitment to the health of students, faculty, and staff at Carleton.
What does this certification mean for a student who walks into The Caf for a meal?
It means that they’ll have a variety of balanced options available to them across the different stations in the dining hall at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For example, a student may be able to pair sustainably sourced cod from the Farmer’s Market station with a whole-grain quinoa dish from the Vegan station and top it off with a local red beet salad at the Salad Station. The result is a delicious, balanced meal that has been seasonally, locally, and sustainably sourced while using cooking techniques that preserve the integrity and nutritional quality of ingredients.
Certified Zero Waste Facility
Dining Services is proud that our two largest dining locations, the caf and the Food Court, are both Certified Zero-Waste. A “Zero-Waste” status means that 90% or more of all waste created at these locations is diverted away from landfills through recycling, composting or through our donations efforts.
These locations are audited by an independent third party throughout the year to ensure that we continue to meet the requirements to use the Zero-Waste moniker.
Achieving Zero-Waste is a campus community effort, made possible by the students, faculty and staff who take the time to properly sort their leftovers. Thank you for doing your part to help us minimize our environmental impact!
If you need guidance on how to handle waste on campus, you can check out the Waste Walls located at several of our dining locations, our Trash Talk Instagram story, or Carleton’s Campus Waste Wizard.
Certified Green Restaurant
Carleton’s dining hall, the caf, is a 3-Star Certified Green Restaurant. This certification means that the caf adheres to rigorous standards set by The Green Restaurant Association (GRA) in relation to 7 major areas of focus: Energy Use, Water Efficiency, Waste Reduction, Sustainable Food, Chemical & Pollution Reduction, Disposables, and Building Materials.
Carleton is only the second Canadian university to have a restaurant certified by the GRA, and the first to receive 3 stars. Since 1990, the GRA has accredited thousands of restaurants for their environmentally-conscious operations, using transparent, science-based certification standards.
