The Culinary Journey

The Aramark Culinary Excellence Competition (ACE) brings Aramark's top talent worldwide to test their knowledge, skills, and creativity. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance for those who never settle to jump into the hot seat, test their limits, and push their professional boundaries more than ever before. The ACE Competition gives our chefs an opportunity for greatness and to further their culinary talents in the kitchen.

This past October, Aramark chefs battled in the final enterprise round in Philadelphia. Seven teams of three, one from each of Aramark's lines of business, went head-to-head in preparing a five-course menu to be judged by American Culinary Federation (ACF) chef judges. Each dish was professionally reviewed for taste, texture, nutritional value, and creativity.

We would like to congratulate the Aramark International team from the Czech Republic for taking home the 2023 ACE Competition trophy!

Our team recognizes the Workplace Experience Group team of chefs with great pride for their spirited efforts and participation in such an esteemed competition, earning a Silver Medal from ACF. The team worked hard in training with Culinary Institute of America’s (CIA) Certified Master Chef Brand Barnes over the past six months and proved their ongoing dedication to culinary excellence. Working together, they showed their creativity and ingenuity through their show-stopping dishes.

Read below to learn more about our talented chefs and the culinary journey that brought them here. 

What made you decide to become a chef?

Growing up in New Jersey, I always loved cooking for friends and family and worked in pizzerias and delis. When I got out of high school, I decided to take cooking to the next level.

While working at a local restaurant later, I was thrilled to find out I was about to have a daughter. Soon after, I received a job offer from Aramark and started in Tampa. While working in corporate dining, I fell in love with the opportunity to continue to work as a chef while still having the ability to pursue my passions and achieve everything I want in my culinary career.

What is your proudest moment as a chef?

My proudest moment as a chef so far has been winning the ACE National Competition. I went from not knowing I would be in the Regional Competition to winning Nationals. Despite facing multiple obstacles while creating my dishes, I turned these difficulties into motivation and power through the remainder of the competition. I had never competed at this level and went through a lot of mental preparation to work through any negative thoughts, reset my mentality through meditation, and visualize my winning. I continue experimenting and committing myself to what I must do for the enterprise competition.  

What ingredients inspire you the most in your dishes?

I have always been a big fan of seasonings and their proper use based on their flavor profiles. There is no substitute for fresh herbs and fresh, quality ingredients. I believe that authentic ingredients and authentic cooking techniques always bring authentic results. Some of my must-haves include:

I. Garlic–chopped, slivered, and/or roasted. II. Chipotle purée–used for a smokey spice element in dishes. III. Fresh herbs–a full range of spices to make rubs and seasonings.

How will your training with a certified master chef be paid forward into your own training in your kitchen?

This competition is much more precise and specific than pleasing the masses with a dish. The judges are there to critique the food and your techniques. The attention to detail here will truly bring us to the next level. What you don’t know in this case can hurt you, and these trainings have shown my team what the judges are looking for beyond taste. The training has helped my team learn many lessons that can be applied in our kitchens, such as how to work with symmetry and learn to respect other’s space and opinions in the kitchen.

After the competition is over, I want the opportunity to mentor young chefs for this competition in the years to come. I want to pay forward and pass along the knowledge and lessons I have learned to others. 

What made you decide to become a chef?

Growing up, I always wanted to become a chef. From my early years of sneaking out of my room to watch the Food Network to the fervor I demonstrate in my unit every day, I found that my passion for the culinary arts has blossomed over time in the sense of experimentation, wonder, and an innate desire to do more.

Coming from a large family, I grew up with fond memories of gathering around the table and sharing stories surrounding both the good and difficult times. I fell in love with the value of shared experiences and wanted others to feel the same connection I felt.

I took this passion and decided to attend culinary school while still in high school. I immediately became ingrained in hospitality and eventually found a niche in corporate services and workplace experience. I was fortunate to find great mentors during this time who instilled a sense of pride in me and the belief that if you do what you love, you can build a deeply personal connection with people through food every day.

What is your proudest moment as a chef?

My proudest moments as a chef occur when I develop and train my staff. There is no moment more rewarding than mentoring my team, seeing when it all comes together, and knowing they are ready to soar. It is that “aha” moment. Part of what separates a chef from a cook is inspiring people to buy into a vision. The process of achieving this same vision is through other people’s hands. When I won Nationals, one of the first things I did was thank my staff. I have great support and mutual trust with my team, and we know that our success is built on our shared dedication and partnership. 

What ingredients inspire you the most in your dishes?

Being a California local, I love combining flavors and creating fusion dishes using simple or out-of-the-box ingredients. I like to take the best of both worlds by using the cooking techniques of one group, paying homage to the root and culture, and combining that with the flavor profile from another, making them sing simultaneously and give rise to new flavors. For example, I created a duck fusion dish during the regional competition using true Italian techniques combined with classic Chinese flavors. During Nationals, I took a similar approach and honed the uniqueness by creating a dish for each season starting in fall and ending in summer to take the judges on my own personal culinary growth journey.

How will your training with a certified master chef be paid forward into your own training in your kitchen?

Much of our Workplace Experience Group finalist team training has been rooted in setting systems. It is incredibly important to go into any scenario with a set vision and understanding the fundamentals for success. Tapping into the synergy of our team and fine-tuning our tools and techniques has helped us create a successful approach that can be used, upscaled or downscaled, and repeated into everyday applications. 

What made you decide to become a chef?

I have always had a true passion for food and eating. As a kid, my mom would cook dinner every night, which gave me an appreciation for food in a different way. I had worked a few office jobs throughout my life, but they never felt right. Once I got into the kitchen, I knew that this was what I was meant to do.

What is your proudest moment as a chef?

Something I have been very proud of in my career is my Beer Dinners. This was a series of pop-up restaurant events featuring up-and-coming craft breweries and a five-course tasting menu. People became very loyal to the dinners, and I made many new friends along the way.

Outside of the restaurant world, I am so proud of the online cooking show, The Super Chef Dad Chronicles, which I made with my daughter during the pandemic. It was a tough time for many people, and I wanted to do something for my furloughed hotel staff to stay connected when we were stuck at home. It really helped at the time and now I am so happy to have these videos to capture these special memories with my daughter.  

What ingredients inspire you the most in your dishes?

I get inspiration from the seasons and choose my produce based on what is freshest at that time of year. In New York City, my team wakes up early and goes to the Farmers Market at Union Square. This large farmers market comprises 40–50 farms and is open daily. Chefs from around the city arrive by 7 a.m. to pick out the freshest ingredients. This is where I get all the inspiration I could need.

How will your training with a certified master chef be paid forward into your own training in your kitchen?

I have already started working with my team on the skills and tricks I learned from the training. I have put them on the spot to make dishes from mystery baskets, very similar to what we had to do in the ACE competition. These activities have already positively impacted my team and taught them to keep things tight, incorporate more flavors, and learn valuable skills in the kitchen. 

Thank you to our chefs for their incredible dedication to their craft and for representing Workplace Experience Group in this year’s ACE Challenge.