“Kids are eating”, said Bridgehampton Superintendent Theodore Grocki. “And it’s all natural stuff. It’s a unique collaboration.” Parents report that kids are eager to get on the bus in the morning so they can get to the muffins or scones. Teachers now eat with the students in the redecorated eating area renamed The Café —just what the dining area at the Ross School is called. In its third year of operations under Executive Chef Ann Cooper, the Ross School Café began feeding the students at the neighboring Bridgehampton public school. Dr Grocki asked Ross to become the food service provider for his school in order to enhance the quality of life for the students, and he worked with the Ross Culinary team to make appropriate 
changes. The Bridgehampton School changed a classroom into a Café, installed a dishwasher, bought new tables, chairs, dishes, glasses, and silverware, and transformed a traditional school cafeteria into an oasis where delicious, nutritious food is served in a welcoming environment. Breakfast costs $1 for students and $2.50 for adults. Lunches are $2 for students and $6 for adults. Children from families with limited incomes qualify for reduced price or free meals. Additionally, Ross School chefs and Café staff visit Bridgehampton classrooms and help educate the students about healthy eating and the importance of nutrition and exercise. The discussions between the culinary experts who designed and exported the Ross School cuisine and the Bridgehampton students and teachers who consume it are ongoing. This salubrious collaboration, now in its second year, has helped to change the way the students in Bridgehampton eat. Administrators of the Bridgehampton Food Program have observed a marked difference in the types of foods students are willing to try as well as a rise in the amount of fresh produce they are consuming. These healthy life choices are the legacy of a food program that nourishes the body, mind and spirit. 
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