For the first time in Ohio’s history, a state prison in the northeast has served a five-course meal to the public, with the dishes prepared by incarcerated individuals using fruits and vegetables grown in the prison’s own garden.
Around 60 guests attended the event at Grafton Correctional Institution, where inmates from the prison’s EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute organized the meal in “EDWINS’ Garden” and “Hope City Garden.”
EDWINS, an organization focused on prison education, hosted this dinner as part of its culinary program, which is offered in 652 correctional facilities across the U.S. The six-month course equips inmates with cooking skills, safety and sanitation knowledge, knife techniques, and certifications needed for careers in fine dining.
Chef Brandon Chrostowski, a James Beard Award semifinalist and finalist for Outstanding Restauranteur, has been collaborating with Grafton Correctional Institution since 2012, creating a program to teach culinary arts and hospitality to inmates.
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Chrostowski emphasized the program’s mission to provide every individual, regardless of their past, the opportunity for a fair and equal future.
The meal was served at a table adorned with magenta roses, lilies, and white linen, placed in the middle of the two gardens. Fresh bread and olive oil accompanied the courses.
The incarcerated men grow a variety of produce, including parsley, corn, and beets, in the gardens.
One inmate, 40-year-old Greg Sigelmier, shared how much he enjoys the program, noting that it has helped him open up. Initially, he chose to work in the kitchen to avoid being seen by guests due to nerves, but later decided to challenge himself by stepping out of his comfort zone. Sigelmier is now considering a career in the culinary industry after his release next year.
The five-course meal included a beet salad with goat cheese and greens, a kale “purse” with farmer cheese, roasted salmon with béarnaise sauce and braised garden greens, roasted lamb with tomato Provençal, and a dessert of corn cake with blueberry compote and Chantilly cream. Each course was paired with a mocktail, including one called the “botinique,” featuring soda with thyme-infused honey syrup and lemon.
The program not only teaches culinary skills but also emphasizes teamwork and relationship-building as participants prepare and share meals together. Graduates of the EDWINS program have the opportunity to apply for jobs in various Cleveland-area restaurants upon their release.
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