The Hidden Hallways of DHS: The Kitchen
By Finn B. Radner
January 27, 2023
The Dedham Mirror will be publishing a series of articles covering the history of Dedham High School and the parts of the school that are not well-known to students or even staff. This is the first of these articles—covering the valuable food preparation areas just a room away from where Dedham High School students eat their lunches every day.
Dedham High’s daily meals begin their journey at the large loading bay at the back of the school, a location which is often seen by students with little interest. From there, food is sorted into freezers, refrigerators, and room-temperature storage areas, where it is kept until the ingredients are ready to be prepared. To store all this food, DHS has multiple room-sized freezers and refrigerators that must be consistently kept cool to avoid spoilage.
The chip room
One of the walk-in refrigerators
One of the walk-in freezers
Much of this storage takes place in the basement segment of the kitchen—a literal “hidden hallway” with access to food storage and other rooms. This area includes a laundry room where the food services department washes their towels, aprons, and other fabrics.
Inside one of the downstairs freezers
A temperature gauge on one of the downstairs freezers
The downstairs loading bay
The downstairs hallway and storage area
The laundry area
Upstairs, the food services department has a large kitchen to prepare food for not only the high school, but also for the elementary schools that do not have their own kitchens. The recognizable bags used to transport food to the elementary schools sat on a shelf in this area. The upper floor also includes ovens, a location referred to as “the cage” where spices and condiments are stored, sinks for washing dishes, and benches for preparing food.
Food preparation benches and the ovens
"The Cage," where condiments and other equipment is stored
The food preparation area for the elementary schools & the dishwashing room
When Mirror reporters toured this area, they were surprised to see the size and complexity of the nutritional services department—a true unrecognized sector of Dedham High School. So, the next time you're eating a school lunch, don't forget about the work that it took to prepare these meals!
Meet the Writer!
Finn B. Radner, Class of 2023, is the opinion editor for the Dedham Mirror. He is the President of the DHS Math Team, Editor-in-Chief of ECHO Magazine, and a member of the DHS Science Team.
Meet the Photographer!
Sarina Donadio, class of 2023, is the head Photographer and Sports Editor of the Dedham Mirror. She also competes on the DHS track team and has a hamster named Petunia
Investigative team members Jack Dowdall and William Scace also contributed to this story.