VIEW: The Moment Noma Prepares School Lunch for New York City Students

Denmark’s Renowned Noma Projects, backed by the Esteemed World’s Best Restaurant, Served Lunch to Nearly 600 K-8 Students. See What Unfolded.

Noma, the acclaimed three-Michelin-Starred dining establishment in Copenhagen, introduced Noma Projects in 2022 to expand the reach of Noma flavors and products globally. Renowned for its emphasis on sourcing wild local ingredients and adherence to seasonal availability, the prestigious restaurant was crowned “World’s Best Restaurant” by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2021.

In the preceding month, Noma Projects ventured across the Atlantic for a weeklong stint in New York City, featuring various pop-up engagements such as book signings and appearances at the Union Square Greenmarket. Noteworthy among these activities was a private school lunch event, reserved exclusively for DREAM Charter School students in grades K-8, where they were offered a delectable assortment comprising sandwiches and yogurt parfaits created with Noma Projects’ Pumpkin Seed Praline.

The special dining occasion on April 19 at DREAM Charter was orchestrated by Brigaid, a culinary enterprise founded by Dan Giusti, previously Noma’s head chef, which assigns proficient culinary experts to public foodservices like educational institutions, senior centers, and correctional facilities.

During a series of consecutive lunch sessions last month, the Noma Projects team encountered firsthand the complexities — as well as the delights — of ensuring that students receive a nourishing and delightful meal daily. Witness the unprecedented service undertaken by a team affiliated with the world’s foremost dining establishment as they engaged with their most discerning critics — the schoolchildren.