Aramark
Design | Production | Video
Aramark, International Chefs’ Cup 2026
The Aramark International Chefs’ Cup is the organisation’s premier global culinary competition, bringing together exceptional chefs from Aramark operations worldwide to celebrate food, innovation, and hospitality. Competitors earn their place by winning their national or regional heats, then represent their countries across three days of high-pressure challenges, judged by a distinguished panel of culinary experts and Michelin-starred chefs on flavour, technique, presentation, creativity, sustainability, and composure under pressure.
In 2026, the competition came to Dublin under the theme “A Culinary Céilí in Dublin”, welcoming teams from ten countries: Canada, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Korea, Latin America, Luxembourg, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
AVCOM was appointed to deliver comprehensive event video production in the style of a high-end culinary television programme, alongside an immersive visual experience for the Gala Awards celebration — capturing the competition while bringing the spirit of an Irish céilí to life across three iconic Dublin venues.
Value delivered
The brief called for broadcast-style coverage that documented both the formal competition and the human stories behind it, with professionally edited highlight packages delivered each day for evening presentations. In parallel, AVCOM was tasked with creating a contemporary Irish-themed guest journey for the Gala Awards that celebrated Ireland’s cultural heritage while reflecting Aramark’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and excellence.
- Broadcast-style competition coverage
Multiple videographers worked under the direction of a central producer to capture every angle of the live competition across two teaching kitchens at TU Dublin’s Grangegorman Campus. Mystery basket reveals, technical execution, judges’ evaluations, and competitor reactions were all captured on video to a high-end culinary television standard. - Rapid-turnaround daily edits
Daily editing workflows meant highlight films could be produced onsite and delivered for each evening’s events, allowing participants to relive key moments and maintaining excitement and momentum throughout the three-day programme. - Immersive gala theming and design
For the Gala Awards in the Cusack Suite at Croke Park, AVCOM designed the event experience by developing a contemporary Irish-themed guest journey, from a green-carpet entrance through a bespoke “Culinary Céilí” forest installation to branded, themed lift experiences, with the Aramark brand integrated throughout the venue environment. - Storytelling beyond the competition
Coverage extended to the cultural welcome at Malahide Castle — where teams met Irish history, hospitality traditions, and the Irish Wolfhound — as well as competitor interviews and the cultural exchanges between international teams, capturing the human narrative alongside the culinary one. - Sustainability by design
In alignment with Aramark’s environmental goals, AVCOM took a design-led approach built on reusable scenic and decorative props, recyclable branding, compostable print elements, and modular components engineered for future reuse — keeping the experience visually impactful while minimising environmental impact.
Want to see more of our multi-venue production and sustainability-focused work? These case studies are a good place to start: Fáilte Ireland Meitheal and EY Four Futures.
How AVCOM helped Aramark experience more
Across three days and three iconic Dublin venues, AVCOM combined broadcast-style competition coverage, rapid-turnaround daily edits, and a distinctive Gala Awards environment into a single, cohesive experience — bringing the spirit of “A Culinary Céilí in Dublin” to life.
The result was an event that celebrated culinary excellence, showcased Ireland as a host destination, and reinforced Aramark’s global commitment to innovation, hospitality, and sustainability — all delivered with the technical precision and creative storytelling that turns a competition into a memorable occasion.
Learn more about how to elevate the attendees’ experience: Download our Guide to Immersive Events.
From start to finish, honestly, it was just incredible. I don’t know how we could have pulled off tonight without AVCOM. We are so grateful for our partnership, and we hope this continues.
Aisling O’Kennedy, Marketing Director at Aramark
