The Premier Catering Company Appoints Amy Black Director of Sustainability to Grow Awareness and Momentum of Sustainable Food Practices
Great Performances, New York City’s premier catering company, is pleased to announce the launch of its Sustainability Program, helmed by Amy Black, Director of Sustainability for Great Performances. In this position, Amy will spearhead initiatives that address food waste, food rescue, sustainable purchasing practices, local sourcing, and workplace education. She will also further the development of the Katchkie Farm CSA Program, which allows New Yorkers to support local farming through the purchase of freshly harvested vegetable deliveries from the Great Performances owned-and-operated organic farm in Kinderhook, NY.
“We are thrilled to be introducing the Sustainability Program to further enhance our commitment to our employees, the environment and the greater community,” said Liz Neumark, Founder and CEO of Great Performances. “The food we serve will now not only consist of the best quality ingredients, but will also be purchased, prepared and disposed of in a sustainable manner. This worthwhile effort could not be led by a more qualified and dedicated specialist than Amy Black, who we are proud to have on the Great Performances team.”
With former Mayor Bloomberg’s composting law going into effect in 2015, Great Performances is making a company-wide commitment to undergo a full assessment and transformation of its food practices, with sustainability at the forefront of these reforms. The company is devoted to educating their staff as much as they are their customers, building upon their already gaining momentum, which includes composting over 96 tons food waste in 2013. Additionally, starting in 2014, the Katchkie Farm CSA program is helping to facilitate New York City’s composting initiative by packaging participants’ organic veggies in compostable bags. This effort, although seemingly small, is just another layer of how Great Performances celebrates a better tomorrow.
As pilot programs for more sustainable practices in food institutions spring up around the city, Great Performances is taking the movement to the next level. The company’s global view and environmentally concise practices builds daily as Great Performances helps to educate employees, vendors, clients and customers on their accountability with food and the proper way to dispose or donate it. In addition to Great Performances’ push for education of sustainability practices and food waste, they will be expanding their over 30 year relationships with local food banks including City Harvest, Bowery Mission, New York Common Pantry and more to rescue more food annually than ever before.
“I am fortunate and lucky to have been able to learn from some of the most intelligent and experienced food historians in the country, as well as from local communities both here and abroad,” said Amy Black. “I am excited to bring my experiences, knowledge and dedication to Great Performances and to help shape the future of the company’s Sustainability Program.”
Black brings over eight years of experience in sustainable practices and education to her new role. She has dedicated her career to environmental and social justice, and has also worked as a beekeeper and organic farmer. Black spent three years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Paraguay where she taught sustainable agricultural practices and beekeeping technique.
About Great Performances:
Great Performances is New York City’s premier catering company spearheading the evolving “food as fashion” movement. The company is known for incorporating seasonal ingredients into its delicious, innovative and beautifully designed food presentations. Counting many of the city’s most high-profile cultural institutions and landmark properties as clients, such as Sotheby’s, The Plaza, Asia Society, BAM, and Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola (at the Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center), Great Performances is the only New York City caterer to own and operate its own 60-acre organic farm, Katchkie Farm, in Kinderhook, NY. For more information, please visit www.greatperformances.com.
