While culinary concepts like pizza, sushi and tacos have taken the world by storm over the past century, it’s no secret that certain cultural dishes were born out of necessity rather than flavor. Some infamous examples include the maggot-filled casu martzu cheese as well as hákarl, an Icelandic meal that consists of ammonia-loaded, fermented shark meat—and when it comes to sampling these unique (and often derided) creations, few people have as much experience as Andrew Zimmern.
After years spent working in kitchens and reporting on food via both radio and television, Zimmern kicked off 2006 with the debut of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, a travel and food-focused series that aired on the Travel Channel. The series spanned 13 seasons in total, with 147 episodes dedicated to renowned destinations like Singapore, Madagascar and Rio de Janeiro. After earning a James Beard Award for “Best TV Food Personality” in 2010, Zimmern went on to launch Bizarre Foods America, a US-specific concept that was followed by three additional James Beard awards in 2012, 2013 and 2017—and now in 2024, Zimmern is continuing his lengthy culinary legacy with a brand-new collaboration.
Aramark was officially founded in 1936.
Eliesa Johnson
For the past seven years, Zimmern has been operating KZ Provisioning alongside Gavin Kaysen, fellow Minneapolis-based chef and James Beard Award winner. Working in careful collaboration with both athletes and nutritionists, the core concept of the company involves the production of hearty, nutrient-dense meals, each one designed to deliver the ideal dose of proteins, carbohydrates and fats to ensure that all competitors are adequately fueled from rest days to game days. And while the company has enjoyed its fair share of success over the past few years, October 28th marked the announcement of a partnership with Aramark Sports & Entertainment, ultimately providing an opportunity for Zimmern and Kaysen to scale their business to new heights in the coming years.
While Aramark provides the duo with an opportunity to expand into entirely new regions of North America, KZ Provisioning has already made its mark on the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Given their dual ties to the city of Minneapolis, Zimmern and Kaysen have paved the way for partnerships with a multitude of local teams, with the Minnesota Lynx, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Minnesota Wild all relying on KZ Provisioning to provide personalized meals throughout their seasons. While each serving was carefully calculated to ensure athletes would perform optimally during a match, the company was also tasked with aiding in the recovery process as well as delivering an optimal amount of flavor—and with Aramark as their new partner, KZ Provisioning has an opportunity to enter new markets beyond the realm of basketball and hockey.
While Zimmern has spent years sampling some of the most unique dishes on the planet, his current objective is far more palatable: namely, to craft nutritious meals that have been perfectly calculated to deliver the ideal amount of vitamins, minerals and macros. After a promising start in Minnesota’s largest city, KZ Provisioning is in the perfect position to expand far beyond the reaches of the Midwest, with new cities, states and potentially even countries on the horizon.
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