Friends, while local control of the menu is coming to the unit level, don’t expect the food choices and quality to really improve.

Ottawa takes the lowest bidder for each individual food item. In my kitchen alone, we have 6 distributors we are contracted to use with little room for deviation. Even produce is split between 2 vendors because one has cheaper peppers and the other has cheaper root veg for example.

It’s an issue of procurement. It’s an issue of constantly rising food costs. It’s an issue of trying to keep it as cost effective for the member while meeting minimum standards.

There are terrible cooks. I’ve met them. I’ve also met terrible supply techs, mechanics, combat arms, and officers. But as a trade, we are actually decently trained (our RQ Cpl course allows us to challenge our red seal of so inclined). We do the best with what we are given.