When you need something done, get ahold of Rey Hernandez. When asked to describe an average day for the Senior Vice President of Epicurean Group he replies, “You want to know what my real job is? Accommodating people… whatever it takes to keep moving forward.”

After 19 years with Epicurean Group and 46 years in the food industry, Rey has seen it all. We sat down with him to learn a little bit more about his work.

Q: You’ve mentioned you appreciate how eating styles are gradually reverting to the ways our grandparents ate. How does Epicurean Group bring these traditions into their kitchens?

A: I do appreciate the old ways of eating; foods grown at nearby farms and products made locally, but I’m not liking the cost of it! It’s tough to eat this way all the time; honestly for food service it is not cost effective. No matter, we find a balance at Epicurean Group. We make our own stocks and salad dressings. We offer organics to fit the budget, such as grass-fed beef in our burgers, or produce purchased according to the Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen.

Q: How do you know a potential client is a good fit with Epicurean Group?

A: We look for a values match with our clients. We let them know our standards, especially our Practices and Principles. Clients come to us because of our company values. Once we know what’s important to you, we can customize for individual requests. If you want something special, please let us know. Talk to me about any specific needs and we’ll work on ways to fulfil them.

Q: What kind of special requests do you get from clients?

A: Requests for vegan and vegetarian options, as well as nut-free and gluten-free are all very common place these days. We work with the client to solve the problem. For instance, one location with 250 students has 15 or so vegan/gluten free eaters. It’s not enough for a whole food station, but we keep those lunches in a separate hot box and the students know to find the chef and pick up their lunch. If you have strict considerations such as a nut allergy but there’s still demand for the product, we might isolate concerns with a “peanut butter and jelly station.” Anyone with the allergy knows to stay away from that area.

Q: Tell us about the partnerships Epicurean Group has with local farmers and artisan producers?

A: We start with product safety. Our vendors introduce us to farmers who can assure the freshness and safety of their food. There are many more options now to buy from smaller farms. Years ago it wasn’t that way, but local has become so popular. Not only has the public been asking for this, but it also makes the most sense. Supporting local business results in better tasting food, and it builds community. Everyone takes pride these days in making this new reality a standard kitchen practice.

Q: There’s a lot of talk about ways to get employees back into the office post-covid. Do you have any thoughts or special events you are planning?

A: This is a constant, we are always doing promotions. We keep our service fresh and new. We want to keep people engaged. A strong food service program might be the #1 way to draw employees back in.

Below are some of our special events and annual celebrations:

Lunar New Year, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Mardi Gras, Pi Day, Spring Fling, Earth Day, Cinco De Mayo, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Start of Summer BBQ, Welcome Back from Summer BBQ, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah