Randall’s story: a passion for sustainable food

Randall PruddenSenior Manager, Area Support Culinary

Food has always been at the heart of my personal and professional life. When I was growing up I found myself in the kitchen at big family gatherings. At first, I was just curious to taste what my mother was cooking, but she quickly got me involved, saying ‘if you’re going to be here, you’re going to help’. At high school, I completed all six cooking courses available – twice. It gave me grounding in the basic methods and piqued my interest.

 

The dish that hooked me in was an Eastern European pastry called Potica. My gran taught me her recipe, and I vividly remember how incredible the house smelled. I stayed close to the kitchen during university, cooking for my housemates. Although I was studying for a business degree, I knew I wanted to go to culinary school. 

During my two-year course, I landed a six-month internship at an award-winning fine dining restaurant in Wisconsin. It was the perfect springboard for me as a young chef keen to learn – high level and hands on. My ambition was to be up there among the best and it exposed me to so many techniques. They offered me a full-time position.

Joining the Good Eating Company was ‘meant to be’ 

From there, my professional career continued in restaurants, first as a commis chef and then running a pastry station. You can put the biggest smile on people’s faces with sweet treats. I met my wife during that time – I wowed her with ice cream, so this proves my point.

I toyed with the idea of opening my own restaurant but by the time our daughter was born I knew I had to pursue a more family-friendly career path. I was 15 years into my career, and I needed a role where I could leverage everything I’d learned and keep growing. That’s when I found Sodexo. We’d moved to Minnesota and there was a new contract opening under the Good Eating Company (GEC) brand. It was meant to be.  

Leading culinary strategy around the US

I’m now into my third role with GEC and each one has taught me something new. I’ve been part of a small team where I’ve been involved in every kitchen task, have devised dishes that promote local produce and I’m now on the culinary leadership team for GEC in the US. I love the impact I can make. I’ve always believed you can create fantastic food and produce it at consistent quality, at scale, and this role gives me the freedom to do that. We produce restaurant quality food and are constantly experimenting with new menus and championing local produce. Many of the techniques I’ve learned along the way have stayed with me – attention to detail is everything.

Sustainability on show at Cook for Change!

Sustainable cooking is one of my passions as well as introducing customers to new trends and tastes. I get a real buzz from creating plant-based dishes that are so delicious diners don’t even realize they don’t contain meat.

I took that ambition into Sodexo’s Cook for Change! competition earlier this year, designing a dish inspired by working and travelling in Mexico: whole pumpkin with roasted maitake mushroom and mole negro. Mole is a traditional Mexican sauce and can absorb lots of flavors. I’m passionate about using every part of an ingredient and roasted the pumpkin seeds and added pumpkin puree to the mole. I used amaranth, a grain that was used by the Aztecs and is easy to grow anywhere in the world. I smoked the Maitake mushrooms, combining texture with a taste that really appeals to meat eaters. The result was a tasty, sustainable dish that got me through the regional heats to the finals in the UK.

A perfect showcase for Sodexo’s world-class talent

The London trip was a whirlwind. We were treated like celebrities. Being among the other finalists was inspiring and the hosting was incredible. We were treated to food tours around the capital and enjoyed group dinners together.

On competition day, it was so cool to be there in my chef’s coat representing North America. I thought I’d done well but the adrenalin was pumping when it came to announcing the winners. They called my name as top spot in the Impact at Scale category. It was such a thrill. I can’t describe the emotions; it was like nothing I’d ever experienced before.

 

The creativity shown by all the finalists was a great showcase for our chefs too. Judged by leading figures in the industry, including Michelin-starred chefs, the competition shone a spotlight on the world-class talent we have within Sodexo; we need to shout about that more.

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