Purchasing local food and beverage products benefit local businesses.
The Boise Centre is proud to purchase Idaho produced products for the conventions, conferences, trade shows and meetings that it serves. The Boise Centre’s in-house culinary team is the exclusive provider of food and beverage for the events held at the facility and has established a very high standard for delivering quality and service.
The Boise Centre menus feature regional American and International flavors made with quality ingredients and locally-grown foods whenever possible. We are proud to partner with Buy Idaho and Idaho Preferred in support of Idaho farmers, ranchers and food processors. Both of these programs identify and promote food and agricultural products grown, raised, or processed in the Gem State.
The types of Idaho food and agricultural products that the Boise Centre purchases are varied and the Boise Centre has developed relationships with over 28 specific food and beverage businesses in an effort to highlight the quality of products that are available.
Several of these local, regional and state businesses shared their thoughts on working with the Boise Centre’s food and beverage experts.
Melanie Krause, Owner of the Cinder Winery shared; "Thousands of people are introduced to Boise and Idaho at the beautiful Boise Centre and Cinder has been proud that our local, handcrafted wines have been there to welcome them. From the food on their plate to the drinks in their hands, what the Centre is showing these guests is the best of Idaho. Local and world-class!"
Cheryl Bennett, Sales Manager for Lava Lake Land & Livestock, indicated; “The staff of Boise Centre is enthusiastic about using our 100% grass-fed lamb for special events, particularly events where the consumer is interested in showcasing Idaho products. The Centre staff is great at sourcing local foods and always contact us if the opportunity presents itself. We appreciate their willingness to source local products and combined with their culinary skill, makes for a great partnership.”
Heidi Irons, Marketing Manager for Sysco Idaho, explained; “It is exciting to see the Boise Centre’s deep support of local growers and producers. As a foodservice distributor, part of our mission is to support the local agricultural community…and it’s only possible with key partners like the Boise Centre. Over the past 5 years, the Boise Centre’s leadership in supporting local producers has had a remarkable “ripple effect” on our culinary community, which has enriched Idaho’s entire dining scene.”
Steve Ballard of Ballard Family Dairy & Cheese, shared; “The Boise Centre’s Director of Food and Beverage and Executive Chef, began buying our artisan cheese in 2008 to feature on their Idaho cheese trays that are provided during convention breaks. They also use the Ballard Cheese in their main menu dishes. We at Ballard Cheese appreciate Boise Centre for their commitment to use locally produced food that showcases our region’s bountiful offerings. Their support of local farmers, dairymen and ranchers is very much valued. We also attended the United Dairymen’s annual convention held at Boise Centre and were very impressed by the quality of food served at the event. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Boise Centre in the coming years. We at Ballard Cheese thank you for supporting both the community of Boise and the state of Idaho.”
The Boise Centre is proud to support these and other local businesses. The Centre often purchases large quantities of products in order to serve the large number of conventioneers and participants attending meetings or social functions at the facility. For example during 2010, 909 bottle of local wine were purchased, which represents 44% of the Centre’s total wine purchased.
The Boise Centre is also very conscious about supporting the community in as many ways as possible. Throughout 2010, an estimated 5,000 pounds of food have been donated to the Boise Rescue Mission.
About the Boise Centre
As the largest convention facility in Idaho, the Boise Centre is a valuable economic catalyst for downtown Boise and lodging properties throughout the Greater Boise Auditorium District. Opened in 1990, the Centre is located in the heart of downtown Boise, Idaho within walking distance of approximately eight hundred hotel rooms, a variety of restaurants, retail shops and entertainment attractions. As an operating entity of the Greater Boise Auditorium District, the 85,000 square foot Centre serves more than 200,000 guests and hosts 300 events and conventions annually. Visit www.BoiseCentre.com or call 208-336-8900 for more information.