Company Profile

Bente Oestergaard

CEO/Owner

 

I am a native Dane and a mother of 3 kids. I moved to Seattle in 1989 following my husband who took office as Danish Trade Commissioner appointed by the Danish Trade Ministry. I have a business degree from Denmark and I have spent years on developing a refining a concept for healthy and nutritious school lunches, which are appealing to the kids. I have a passion for authentic food and the way it is prepared. My inspiration comes from travel all over Europe, where it is tradition creating daily fresh menus from scratch using the right ingredients and non processed foods. I now divide my time between Denmark and the US.

 

STATEMENT:

I know that the right food makes all the difference in a student’s motivation and their ability to learn. This is my driving force behind the constant development of No Junk Inc.

 

 

Jeff Duncan

Operations Manager

 

I am a graduate with honors of Renton Technical College Culinary Arts Program. During that time I was a member of an award winning culinary team and I completed an internship at Rovers of Seattle. I have professional experience in the food industry in catering, concessions, banquet service, as a line cook, and cooking privately for others. Additionally, I have two teaching degrees from Arizona State University with ten years of teaching experience. I currently teach continuing education courses in culinary at Renton Technical College. Recently I was appointed the culinary instructor for the Washington State Chefs Association Apprenticeship Program.

 

STATEMENT:

 

I believe that food should be made from the freshest available ingredients and it should not only taste incredible but look great as well. When I first heard of No Junk Inc. I was very intrigued by their menu. Having come from being a public school teacher and seeing first-hand what is being served to children in a learning environment I was very impressed by what No Junk has to offer. The food is delicious, it looks great, and it is balanced and healthy. I have not seen a school lunch program like this anywhere! I am excited to be a part of a company that is working to change school lunch for kids as we currently know it.

 

 

 

Sarah Palmer

Head Chef - Main Kitchen

Pastry Chef - Eastside Catholic

 

I am a graduate with honors of the Renton Technical College Culinary Arts Program and a Certified Culinarian with the American Culinary Federation. While attending culinary school I was involved in American Culinary Federation sponsored events as well as cooking competitions. As part of my culinary education I was an intern at Rover's restaurant in Seattle. I began working in kitchens at age 15.  I advanced quickly and moved up the ranks to eventually become the head chef of the first kitchen I ever worked in. I have worked in a number of different kitchens learning everything from fast paced line cooking to fine dining. 

 

My passion for food and cooking started in my mother’s kitchen where I learned that it doesn't matter how many people you are cooking for, you can always be creative and make simple food taste amazing.

 

STATEMENT:

I truly believe that eating should be an experience. I love having fun and being creative with new foods and techniques, but more than that I love knowing that I have created something that someone enjoys. It is a wonderful thing watching someone get excited about something I've baked or cooked.

 

 

Eric Morimoto

Head Chef/Eastside Catholic School

 

I was born & raised in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. There I graduated from Kapiolani Community College with an Associates degree in Culinary Arts. Over a span of 15 years I have worked in a multitude of establishments, varying from fast-paced restaurants to golf & country clubs to even interning at Walt Disney World for a brief time.

 

STATEMENT:

I am constantly looking for new, exciting , & interesting ways to improve on the knowledge & skill of my craft, deriving from books & various types of media. This I hope, will in turn translate to the continuing improvement of quality & production here at No Junk Inc.

 

 

Patti Boyd

Office manager/Eastside Catholic School

 

Before I joined No Junk Inc, I was an assistant manager at the JoAnn Fabrics in Redmond for almost 10 years. I have my Associate in Arts degree from Schoolcraft College in Michigan. As a native Seattleite, I have lived all but four years in the Northwest. My husband and I have three grown children. We were very active with Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts even after they graduated. My first experience working in a large kitchen was at Girl Scout camp.

 

STATEMENT:

I enjoy helping the students at the cash register in a speedy, accurate and friendly manner. Being gluten intolerant myself, I am available to offer help to students that would like help determining safe food to purchase if they have food allergies or sensitivities.