Dog Lane Cafe, located in Downtown Storrs, became a recipient of the Taste of Mansfield Champion Awards on Nov. 13 at a community dinner at Mansfield Middle School.
The awards, which were announced by Taste of Mansfield and their partners Mansfield Agriculture Committee and Economic Development Commission, were nominated and chosen based on the Taste of Mansfield’s mission, which is “to connect residents to local food and farms,” according to their website.
The public was encouraged to nominate businesses and people based on the following criteria: “Sells or serves local food or an agricultural product with a focus on Mansfield farms and farm stands, educates customers/clients about where local food comes from through various media, or acts as a leader and advocate for promoting local food,” a press release reads.
Dog Lane Cafe, which has served Mansfield and Storrs residents for over 10 years, has partnerships with 15 local growers and producers. The cafe also serves homemade soup and local meats.
Some of these partnerships include Mountain Dairy, Willimantic Food Co-op and Dragons Blood Elixir, as stated on Dog Lane Cafe’s website. These partnerships range from providing fresh produce to dairy to spices—all of which are produced in Connecticut.
Dog Lane Cafe is a member of Green Valley Hospitality, a fiscal management and marketing company that focuses on giving back to local communities and staff. This includes purchasing “from local growers and purveyors whenever possible” and working “closely with [their] year-round vendors to source top-quality foods,” according to the Green Valley Hospitality website. The Vanilla Bean Cafe, 85 Main and Fenton River Grill are also restaurants that are members of GVH.
Former recipients of the award, including Diane Dorfer, Chelsea Cutter and Dennis Pierce, were among the residents who attended the Taste of Mansfield Community Dinner. Mansfield Mayor Toni Moran and Superintendent Peter Dart announced the 2024 winners.
Other winners of the 2024 Champion awards included Stacy Stearns, Melanie Desch and Mariah Popeleski-Tilley. Stearns is a member of the Mansfield Agriculture Committee and was chosen for her leadership in promoting local agriculture. Popeleski-Tilley is the food services director at Mansfield Middle School and was chosen for her efforts to reimagine school lunches. Desch was chosen for her volunteer work with Windham’s Mesa Communitaria program, which serves to increase access to local food for those in need, according to the press release.
For more information on local food and awards, visit the Dog Lane Cafe website and the Taste of Mansfield website.