For Colby College’s new Senior Executive Head Chef, Todd Sweet, the past 40 years of his life have been spent cooking in kitchens. “I mean, I’ve been cooking all my life. I think six years old was the first time I destroyed something in the kitchen,” Sweet said. “My wife says I have a very sensitive nose, so that’s why I always liked to cook.”
Background
Sweet grew up in Florida but moved up to New England about 20 years ago. He attended the Culinary Institute of America in upstate New York. “Cooking has kind of brought me all over the world,” Sweet said. Sure enough, Sweet has worked and lived across the world; from an externship in France to working in Austria and even on cruises, Sweet is certainly no stranger to adventure.
Work Experience Before Colby
“I started working at the University of New Hampshire around 14 years ago and was the Senior Executive Chef there for about eleven years,” Sweet told me. He stepped out of his role at UNH to open up a new indoor dining sports hub facility, but he is more than happy to return to a college campus. “I like higher education,” Sweet said.
Spare Time
“I love baking a lot. I tend to bake in my spare time,” Sweet said. “Although up here, I find there’s a lot of world-class bakeries, so I don’t have to bake anymore because you get amazing bread, croissants, and all those things. You’ll usually find me in the bakeshop if there’s nothing else going on because I just love the transformation of these raw ingredients into this amazing food. I still can’t believe it happens.”
Breakfast
At home, he typically starts off his day by making breakfast for his family. His wife “always has an egg-white omelet with Greek feta, Swiss, and sautéed garlic,” and his son has a smoothie. After preparing his family’s breakfasts, he has “a cup of coffee for [him]self.”
On the Move
Chef Todd Sweet moved to Brunswick with his wife and 16-year-old son. He says he spends his 50-minute drive listening to podcasts.
Sweet says he runs between all four dining halls, putting in five to six miles a day. “Everyone here — I’ve been really impressed — has really wanted to do the work well. They’re all very dedicated craftsmen, so I love to interact with them about the dishes and the recipes.”
Lunch
“So I have a sumptuous lunch composed of ‘line check,’ which is where I go around to each station and have a little bite of everything and make sure that it’s at the standards that everybody wants them to be at, including the people that are running the stations,” Sweet said.
Dining Goals
One of Sweet’s main concerns he wants to address at the College is overall accessibility of dining.
“When I was at [the] University of New Hampshire, I wrote the first all-access-allergy-free menu in the country. So that was something I was really proud of,” Sweet said. “I didn’t know I was the first one in the country,” he laughed.
Sweet attributes this work as one of the main reasons he was hired for the job. He wants people with allergies, dietary preferences, or restrictions to feel like they’re a part of the community. “It’s breaking bread,” Sweet said.
Evening
Sweet finishes work around 7 p.m. His wife typically has dinner ready. His favorite meal she makes is her pasta with meat sauce. “It’s just like the best thing in the world,” he said. “It’s everything I want.”
Final Words
Chef Sweet said he met with the Student Government Association’s Dining Hall Committee over the past week and has noticed what he describes as “maybe a reticence to share feedback.”
“I’d love for them to be as outspoken as they want to,” Sweet said. “Because ultimately, that’s who we’re serving. I’m not serving myself.”
He continued, “A dining hall is more than just where you get a meal; it’s where you commune with your friends, it’s where you connect with your culture.”
The Future
“I’m excited to join Colby, honestly. I’ve heard about their dining program before. The whole team here’s been super impressive, and I’m excited to work alongside them,” Sweet said.
“To me, it’s just like coming home.”
~ Anya Eder `29
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