Take Back the Tray: Revolutionizing Food in Hospitals, Schools, and Other Institutions - Paperback

by Joshna Maharaj (Author)

A beloved chef takes on institutional food and sparks a revolution with this manifesto, memoir from the trenches, and blueprint for reclaiming control from corporations and brutal bottom lines.

"With hard-won insights and deep commitment, Joshna Maharaj takes us on a mouthwatering tour of what our collective food future might be." ― Raj Patel, author of Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System

Good food generally doesn't arrive on a tray, but Chef Joshna Maharaj knows that institutional kitchens have the ability to produce good, nourishing food, because she's been making it happen over the past 14 years. She's served meals to people who'd otherwise go hungry, baked fresh scones for maternity ward mothers, and dished out wholesome, scratch-made soups to stressed-out undergrads. She's determined to bring health, humanity, and hospitality back to institutional food while also building sustainability, supporting the local economy, and reinvigorating the work of frontline staff.

Maharaj reconnects food with health, wellness, education, and rehabilitation in a way that serves people, not just budgets, and proves change is possible with honest, sustained commitment on all levels, from government right down to the person sorting the trash. The need is clear, the time is now, and this revolution is delicious.

Back Jacket

Why is institutional food so bad when it could, and should, be so good? With hard-won insights and deep commitment, Joshna Maharaj takes us on a mouth-watering tour of what our collective food future might be. Her vision points the way to how we can put the hospitality back in hospital food and the generosity into a new generation of socially produced acts of care. -- Raj Patel, author of Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System "A passionate and insightful analysis born of many years on the ground. The writing is an inspiring call to action to restore dignity and deliciousness coupled with a large dose of hospitality to our institutional dining experience. I'll be doing my bit."-- Jamie Kennedy, chef Good food generally doesn't arrive on a tray, but Chef Joshna Maharaj knows that institutional kitchens can produce good, nourishing food, because she's been making it happen over the last fourteen years in hospitals, a university, and a community food centre. She's determined to bring health, humanity, and hospitality back to institutional food, while also building sustainability, supporting the local economy, and reinvigorating the work of frontline staff. Take Back the Tray is part manifesto, part memoir from the trenches, and a blueprint for reclaiming control from corporations and brutal bottom lines. The need is clear, the time is now, and this revolution is delicious.

Author Biography

Joshna Maharaj is a chef, two-time TEDx speaker, and activist. She believes strongly in the power of chefs and social gastronomy to bring hospitality, sustainability, and social justice to the table. Joshna is a regular guest on CBC Radio, a passionate public speaker, and co-hosts The Hot Plate, a food and drink podcast. She was the recipient of Restaurants Canada's Culinary Excellence Award in 2018.