Debbie Kline, the Shirreff Dining Hall manager, heard students shriek with excitement as they saw the recently renovated servery for the first time over the weekend.
Shirreff Hall鈥檚 servery is the area outside the kitchen, where staff and students dining in the hall choose and are served their meals. Over the summer it was completely remodelled, allowing for both aesthetic updates and necessary improvements to its infrastructure. In addition, it was made 50 per cent larger and provides a greater number of access points to food, increasing overall efficiency and flow in the dining hall.
鈥淭he returning students are walking in and seeing the difference,鈥� says Kline.
鈥淚t seems a lot more organized and it seems like there are more options,鈥� said second-year Shirreff Hall resident Rachel Huntington while she enjoyed her first lunch in the renovated space. 鈥淚t looks really good.鈥�
More flexibility, choice
Beyond improvements to its appearance and functionality, changes to the servery have given students more mealtime choices.
鈥淭he new equipment allows us to employ different cooking methods,鈥� says Michael Silvester, executive chef for Dalhousie鈥檚 Halifax Campus Food Services. 鈥淭he guests can have more control and interaction with the chef who鈥檚 making [their food].鈥� 聽
This means more flexibility in terms of adapting recipes, and more ability for staff to cater dishes toward students鈥� specific dietary needs. 鈥淭he staff are really excited about it,鈥� adds Silvester.
The new servery includes stir fry, pasta, grill, pizza and saut茅 stations, as well as revamped deli and sandwich bars. Dining hall staff can now prepare a greater variety of dishes, adding more possibilities, like smoothies and made-to-order desserts, to the menu.聽 聽
A warm, welcoming space
One key feature in the new space is a moveable island, which can be broken into three pieces and stored in the kitchen to make space for events in the dining hall.
Natalie Gibbs, conference sales manager for Conference Services at Dalhousie, says this is great for conferences, banquets and weddings held on campus over the summer months.鈥淭he moveable island and moveable furniture make the space really flexible,鈥� she says.
Despite the modern conveniences the new servery provides, Facilities Manager Mateo Yorke said residence staff made great efforts to make sure it fit with Shirreff鈥檚 historic look and feel.
鈥淚t all flows together and feels so warm,鈥� confirms Kline.
But rest assured, many of Shirreff鈥檚 time-tested and well-loved food stations have found new homes in the upgraded space.
鈥淔or anyone who鈥檚 worried,鈥� Yorke says, 鈥淛anet鈥檚 sandwich station is still there.鈥� (He refers, of course, to the dining hall's staff member whose sandwiches and wraps are beloved on campus.)
While Shirreff鈥檚 servery was updated this summer, last summer saw improvements to the dining hall鈥檚 kitchen. The summer before that, the kitchen, servery and seating area in Howe Hall were entirely re-done.
For more information about dining in Shirreff, or any of Dalhousie鈥檚 other dining halls, visit