PHILADELPHIA–Aramark’s (NYSE: ARMK) team of chefs from its Sports & Entertainment division bested its competitors to win the Inaugural National Finals of the Aramark Culinary Excellence (ACE) Competition – a showcase of the company’s domestic culinary talent and menu innovation – and take home the coveted “Copper Pot.”
Members of the winning team are:
- Chef Stephen Aheimer – FirstEnergy Stadium
- Chef Richard Grab – Philadelphia, Baltimore & Washington, DC District
- Chef Allan Wambaa – Oregon Convention Center
Fifteen Aramark chefs, comprising five teams of three chefs from participating U.S. lines of business (Business Dining, Education, Healthcare Hospitality, Leisure, and Sports & Entertainment), competed in the intense daylong culinary challenge, in accordance with American Culinary Federation competition standards and judged by ACF Master and Certified Executive Chefs, at Aramark’s Global Headquarters in Philadelphia, PA, on November 20, 2019.
“This is such a great honor and I’m so proud of the effort our team put forth to win the first-ever Aramark Culinary Excellence National Championship,” said Chef Aheimer, on behalf of the Sports & Entertainment team. “The whole experience has been a great opportunity for me, Rich and Allan, and all of the competing chefs, to demonstrate our love of food and passion for cooking.”
**Competition and award photos can be downloaded here **
Cooking for a Cause
To up the ante, in addition to competing for bragging rights, each culinary team competed on behalf of an Aramark non-profit partner. As a result of Sports & Entertainment winning the ACE Championship “Copper Pot,” Back on My Feet received a $10,000 donation from the Aramark Charitable Fund.
“We’re excited to have been included in this wonderful event celebrating culinary excellence and are grateful for Aramark’s continued support of community initiatives and causes, such as Back on My Feet,” said Ashley Kilpatrick, Senior Vice President of Development with Back on My Feet. “While we’re ecstatic the Sports & Entertainment team won the competition, we are humbled by all the hard work and attention to detail each team put into competing on behalf of their chosen organization. Thanks to Aramark’s generosity, we all walk away winners!”
In the spirit of friendly competition, just for competing, all of the other teams earned a $5,000 donation for their non-profit partner, from the Aramark Charitable Fund. Those organizations and the teams they partnered with are: Boys & Girls Clubs of America (Business Dining); Hope Center for College, Community and Justice (Education); Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (Healthcare Hospitality); and National Park Foundation (Leisure).
Winning 4-Course Menu
The winning team of Chef Aheimer, Chef Grab and Chef Wambaa successfully prepared and presented a four-course menu, utilizing a mystery basket of 16 fresh, seasonal and local ingredients.
| Appetizer | Entrée | |
| Pheasant RavioliPork belly escarole, Sautéed Kennett Square crimini mushrooms, Pheasant demi | Seared Black Bass & Sous vide Gambas Hominy risotto, Shaved Brussels sprouts, Asian pear slaw, Gochujang fume |
| Soup | Dessert | |
| Butternut Squash Puree Butternut squash, Amish goat cheese, Smoked beef tongue, Wild rice pilaf fluff | Chocolate Almond Coconut Macaroon BarGinger beer beet puree, Ruby chocolate sauce, Glass sugar |
Aramark Culinary Excellence Competition is a year-long competition, culminating with a national finals, where the top three winners from each business unit form teams to compete for the honor of Aramark Culinary Excellence National Champions.
During the 2019 competition, over 100 chefs, from Aramark’s U.S. Business Dining, Healthcare Hospitality, Education (Higher Education/K12), Leisure, and Sports & Entertainment accounts competed in business sector competitions.
About Aramark
Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, state-of-the-art healthcare providers, the world’s leading educational institutions, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 19 countries around the world. Our 280,000 team members deliver experiences that enrich and nourish millions of lives every day through innovative services in food, facilities management and uniforms. We work to put our sustainability goals into action by focusing on initiatives that engage our employees, empower healthy living, preserve our planet and build local communities. Aramark is recognized as one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE, as well as an employer of choice by the Human Rights Campaign and DiversityInc. Learn more at www.aramark.com or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
