Full bellies and happy faces: Feeding Brunswick boys is a daily balancing act of serving up nutritious food while pleasing (sometimes finicky) palates.
And so it is that for generations, Chef Herberth Melgar has gotten the food right at Brunswick so generations of Brunswick boys could get it right in the classroom. Or on the pitch. Or the gridiron, the tennis court, or even on the stage at Baker Theater.
Without a doubt, Melgar and the other chefs at Brunswick have a passion for preparing delicious food, and they bring that passion to the dining halls of Maher Avenue and King Street every day.
But they never lose sight of their unique mission.
This is food prepared by some of the finest chefs in the area, but more importantly this is fuel for busy minds and growing bodies of scores of Brunswick boys.
At Brunswick, this task falls each day to Melgar and the talented chefs at Flik Independent School Dining. Both Melgar and Executive Chef Billy LeVasseur prepare fun, healthful, and innovative food for ’Wick boys at every level.
Both men know when it comes to feeding kids, there’s no avoiding crowd-pleasers like homemade ravioli and all-natural chicken tenders.
But both men are also inspired in the kitchen — whether it’s poached pears with brie, an English pea risotto, or a miso soup bar that warms the soul on a cold autumn day.
Beyond the dining halls, ’Wick Bruins have been getting the lowdown on good nutrition from a certified sports nutritionist who also works to power up professional athletes with a better diet.
The nutritionist visited with Brunswick teams twice in 2019, and going forward such talks will be scheduled four times a year.
“This is all part of our Health and Wellness push,” said Marc Strileckis, Brunswick’s associate athletic director and head athletic trainer. “Our boys need to understand the foundation of good nutrition, and get away from supplementation and what’s seen on TV. There are no magic potions.”
Lower Schoolers, too, are getting the message on the power of food, though for this group it came in the form of some joyful hip hop dancing courtesy of a visiting dance troupe.
A weary pizza dance showed the kind of sluggishness that can result when we eat junk food, while some joyful moves of a hummus sandwich dance showed how good nutrition can power our days.
Brunswick competed in Match 4 of the Fairfield County Math League on Wednesday, with the A-team earning a convincing victory in the field of 27 schools with 113 total points.
For the Brunswick School football program, this year’s National Signing Day is more than a celebration — it’s a historic milestone, as the Bruins are sending an unprecedented 12 student-athletes to play college football during the early signing period.
Gordon Korman, the prolific author of children’s books and young-adult fiction, visited with Lower and Middle School students in late October, offering a lively recap of a creative, bountiful career spanning almost 47 years.
Brunswick's final match of the season was the NEPSAC Championship game against Phillips Exeter Academy at Mehra Natatorium on Sunday, with the Bruins ultimately earning a 20-13 win to capture their 10th consecutive New England Championship title.