Culinary Culture

Marek Madeja, assistant foodservice director for Aramark at Aramark Headquarters in Philadelphia, grew up in Poland, where he says his family loved to entertain. His interest in food compelled him to choose to attend a high school with a culinary focus, which eventually led to his career in foodservice.

“Food was a big part of my childhood in Poland. My mom was a great cook and just entertaining in general was big in my family. I think originally what got me interested in food was its textures and flavors. I am someone who likes trying new things. [Because of this interest] I chose to go to a high school that had a culinary focus. Having a food background from home and then continuing it at school helped me to get a basic understanding of the business.

When I graduated high school I moved to the United States and I wanted to continue on in that food tradition. I graduated from the restaurant school at Walnut Hill College in Philadelphia. While I was there I attended a job fair and I applied and was hired with Four Seasons. I worked my way up through positions with Four Seasons, including working at the location in New York before returning to Philadelphia. I needed a change of pace. One of my old coworkers got me interested in Aramark.

These days I don’t like cooking for myself, but I enjoy cooking for other people. I care about getting feedback. I also enjoy just getting to know other people’s tastes so I can make things better.

I love food because I’m not afraid of tasting new things. When I was working at the Four Seasons the chefs were very adventurous. People would look at some of the things and think they were too weird. I would always asks questions about all the weird stuff.

In my current job I very much enjoy the guest interaction and learning what their likes and dislikes are. Also, hearing the feedback and making things happen for the customers is what gives me the most enjoyment.”