Ensights Magazine

Angela Pursley salad bar

Faculty Focus: Angela Pursley

Tiffany Townsend
As the High School Kitchen Manager, Angela Pursley starts her day at Ensworth around 5:30 AM. She and her team serve breakfast to approximately 70 students each morning, followed by a lunch service that feeds more than 600 students and faculty. 
Preparation includes two hot bars, a 12-foot salad bar, a sandwich bar, soup, and a grab-and-go station. Depending on the calendar, there may also be special events or dinners to help cater. “I don’t think there’s ever a day that someone hasn’t requested something special from the kitchen—there’s never a day the same!” says Angela. 
 
In her 15 years at Ensworth, Angela has seen many changes in the kitchen and in the approach to providing healthy, balanced meals for students. “Several years ago, Ensworth brought in a registered dietitian and we worked together on the menu. We limited fried options and started purchasing healthier and higher-quality meats, such as grass-fed beef and chicken that is free of antibiotics and other additives. And offering a 12-foot salad bar with additional options is a major plus in helping our community stay healthy. We probably have one of the best salad bars in Nashville!”
 
Angela and her team continue to grow the menus every year to make them healthier and more robust. At the end of each school year, they evaluate what’s on the menu and consider what has worked well and what might need to change, and they attend a food show with Sysco to learn about new products and items. They recently moved from a 5-week menu rotation to a 6-week rotation in order to offer more variety. Some of the new items this year include beef tips and noodles and a build-your-own-bowl day that offers quinoa and beyond beef, a plant-based meat alternative.  
 
Another change Angela has observed over the years is the growth of dietary restrictions and food sensitivities. “We have a handful of students who want our guidance in finding options that work with gluten, nut and dairy allergies, and others figure it out on their own. At the beginning of every day, we look at what is on the menu and consider what they can eat and decide if we need to make anything different to help supplement. We try to get as close as we can to what we have; we want them to feel like they are eating the same things other students are eating.”
 
In addition to nourishing the students’ appetites, Angela and her staff contribute to the health and well-being of the students by supporting them in all their endeavors. It is not uncommon to see the kitchen staff in the audience at plays and concerts or in the stands at games, and often they are the ones clapping and cheering the loudest. “We are all mothers and we just love the students; it’s easy to be part of their lives. We like them as people—we aren’t just their cafeteria ladies. We are here for them. We have a lot of friendships we have developed with students that last beyond graduation.”
Back

Share This Article

List of 4 news stories.