Aramark’s job training program for inmates brings a culinary competition to a women’s correctional facility

Aramark wants to help teach inmates life skills and assist them in finding a job after incarceration. To that end, the foodservice provider recently hosted a culinary competition as a part of its IN2WORK program, which provides inmates with job training and internships. The competition, which was held at the Ohio Reformatory for Women, gave participants an opportunity to have fun and learn new culinary skills.

The event, dubbed the Aces competition, was led by three chefs from Aramark Sports + Entertainment—Christopher Rivercomb and Steve Bosemen from the Cincinnati Bengal’s Paycor Stadium and Steve Aheimer from the Cleveland Browns’ Huntington Bank Field.

“The IN2WORK Aces competition was an inspiring showcase of talent, resilience and potential,” said Rivercomb, in a statement. “Beyond learning culinary techniques, they gained confidence and a renewed sense of possibility for life after incarceration.”

During the first day of the two-day event, the chefs were given the opportunity to showcase their culinary talent with demonstrations where they discussed their techniques and gave culinary tips to the attendees. And during the second day, participants began to create meals in teams as the competition began.

The participants, who included students, graduates and fellows from the IN2WORK program, were divided into two teams of eight and worked together to create their dishes, which were judged by a panel from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections and Aramark.

The first team, dubbed Team Bengals, served up Mediterranean chicken quesadillas, made with lemon herb chicken, roasted peppers and onions, provolone cheese and Tzatziki sauce, with ranch-spiced tots on the side. For dessert, they created s'mores brownies, featuring a fudge brownie with chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, a graham cracker crumble and toasted marshmallow.

Meanwhile the second team, Team Browns, worked together to create tomatillo-braised chicken thighs, served with chipotle sauce, salsa verde, pickled red onions and cilantro-lime rice on the side. And for dessert, they served up churro nachos, made from cinnamon-sugar churros, maple-cream cheese sauce, chocolate ganache, tart cherries and powdered sugar.

“It was an honor to be part of an event like this. It provided a completely different vantage point for a day in the life of an incarcerated person,” said Aheimer. “It was amazing to see the level of engagement and pride that was put into the food and the experience overall.”

When the competition came to a close, everyone was a winner, as the panel of judges was split between courses. Team Browns took the victory for the entrée and side round while Team Bengals won the dessert round. The two meals will be featured as special menus in Aramark’s iCare Fresh program, a dining program for justice-impacted individuals and their families.

While the competitive aspect of the event added a fun element, Aramark wanted the event to focus on growth and learning.

“The Aces competition was more than just a culinary challenge—it was a powerful reminder of the potential within every individual, regardless of their past. The competition gave the women involved a chance to further develop valuable skills in food prep and service alongside professional chefs from two NFL teams,” said Bob Barr, regional vice president for Aramark Correctional Services. “The outcome of the culinary competition demonstrated that their potential is limitless, and that with the right support, there are real opportunities waiting for them on the other side.”