Meet our Chefs of the Year | Chef Appreciation Week | Part 4
Compass Group chefs passionately believe in the power of food to bring people together. They create a positive impact both in the industry and across the entire food system. Chef Appreciation Week is the opportunity to share how our chefs and their teams serve so much more than food.
Join us in celebrating our talented chefs and learning more about their unique backgrounds, inspirations, and accomplishments. Happy Chef Appreciation Week!

Kamat Newman
Chef de Cuisine
Restaurant Associates
Chef makes a powerful impact on business, pricing, margin and inflation. A list of distinguished recognition for Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi includes 3 Stars by the New York Times, rated the number one restaurant in New York City 2023 by NYT, and the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Resy One to Watch Award. Kwame’s team even hosted Beyonce’s post-concert event and launched Tatiana After Dark to help drive down food costs.

Javier Aramboles
Executive Chef
Thompson Hospitality
With 25 years of professional cooking experience, Chef Javier Aramboles embraces food traditions and cultures from around the world. Both self-taught and self-motivated, he is passionate about sharing with his peers and does a phenomenal job with Teaching Kitchens. His classes are always filled with guests who want to prepare his meals at home.

Geoffrey Foerst
Executive Chef
Touchpoint Support Services
With a focus on driving results, Geoffrey installed micro concepts and rotating stations that boosted retail sales and continually delivers on high-end catering. He was instrumental in coordinating the expansion of the Jack and Olive grab-n-go program, from setting up new order and delivery schedules to increasing guest satisfaction and saving labor.

Shawn Simard
Executive Chef
Wolfgang Puck Catering
Shawn is a champion of sustainability and community. He highlights local restaurant partnerships, regional purveyors and the BIPOC Farmer Program. Chef oversees onsite growing, local sourcing, limiting food waste and farm partnerships, including pop-up Farmers Markets. Shawn launched a veg-forward menu to encourage limiting animal proteins.