Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 San Francisco has an Oakland partner: Nybll and Chef Kristen Thibeault.
When the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 SF leadership went looking for a chef that could meet their stringent meal requirements for world class athletes, they found the perfect partner in Oakland-based Nybll and chef Kristen Thibeault.
Nybll has found a niche in creating high-performance, energy sustaining meals that fueled the athletes who won the most recent baseball and basketball championships, as well as the Giants and their visiting teams. Over the course of three days, Nybll will serve over 7,000 meals – lunch and dinner to 1000 players, officials, coaches, and media from 28 countries as well as hundreds of USA Rugby staff and volunteers.
“When USA Rugby came to us with their dietary requirements, it wasn’t a stretch for us,” says Nybll chef and co-founder Kristen Thibeault. “Their guidelines fit exactly how we already cook for our pro sports and corporate clients every day. When you’re tasked with satisfying large, health focused rugby players you can’t serve tofu and sprouts – it’s got to be a hearty plant focused menu with clean proteins and bold flavors.” Nearly all of Nybll creations avoid the use of dairy, gluten, breading, MSG, and processed sugar. The result is a satisfying meal without a carb crash or regret.
Kristen Thibeault was the 2013 winner of the S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef award that catapulted her onto the culinary scene. Prior to her formal chef training at the Le Cordon Bleu, Ms. Thibeault taught herself how to create healthy meals during her recovery from breast cancer. Her winning dish for the Almost Famous competition was vegan sweetbreads.
Nybll meals benefit not only athletes, but fast paced office workers who avoid the typical mid-afternoon lag that comes from heavy restaurant take-out. As Kristen Thibeault likes to say, ‘Your lunch just got hacked.’
The semi-permanent 15,000 square foot structure that includes a mobile kitchen, international food court, and dining hall for 350 is being constructed in the Harbor Lot adjacent to AT&T Park. Nybll will provide lunch and dinner from Friday, July 20 to Sunday, July 22.
Nybll’s menus meet and exceed USA Rugby’s stringent dietary requirements for world cup level food service. Nybll’s philosophy embraces the notion that we all first ‘eat with their eyes’ so they focus intensely on presentation. Expect sumptuous food stations and colorful fruit and vegetable offerings that dazzle the eye and palate.
Nybll’s menus are designed to appeal to the vast cultural diversity of players originating from twenty-eight countries. San Francisco’s own distinctive culinary culture will be strongly represented as well. And, all menus will feature high energy, high protein selections designed to help fuel championship performance on the field.
Rugby menu themes and selections include:
Streets of San Francisco – Mission St. Tacos, China Town Hot Pot, and Japan Town Bento Bowl
Island BBQ – Organic, Polynesian Roasted Pig, Coconut Chicken and BBQ Pulled Pork
Aussie Barbie – Roasted Lamb, Grilled Shrimp and Mango Relish and BBQ Portobello Mushrooms
A ‘California Farm Stand’ all-day energy station will be available to the athletes at all times including, yogurts, nuts, fresh fruits, organic energy snack blends and organic juice bar.
Stay tuned.