ACF Chef Profile: Jimmy Lee Hill, HAAC

By John Bartimole

It all started, humbly enough, in a prison in a room with a desk and two tables on that fateful day of Nov. 15, 1989.

That’s the day that changed the life of ACF Chef Jimmy Lee Hill, HAAC — and the day the culinary education and training program he nurtured began changing the lives of prisoners at Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater, Mich., where he worked as chef/instructor of the institution’s culinary arts program.

From that utilitarian beginning, Chef Hill rebuilt, expanded and redefined a program that had sparse furniture, no textbooks and just a handful of students.

Now, more than 35 years later, the program Chef Hill nurtured — showcased in the film “Coldwater Kitchen,” which won the 2023 James Beard Award for Best Documentary — boasts a recidivism rate of only 6%. That’s 20 percentage points lower than the overall recidivism rate in this country.

“That first day, I sat down and didn’t even know the format of the class,” Chef Hill says. “The phone rang, and it was the warden. ‘What’s for lunch Thursday?’ he asked. ‘You’re going to do a meal in the class every Thursday for the administrators.’”

“And that’s how I started,” Chef Hill continues. “We had no books. I had 10 students, and they were eager to get at it. And I started bringing in copies of Bon Appetit as my textbook.”

Chef Hill quickly realized some things had to change to make his program flourish. He transformed the look of his classroom to be more conducive to the program.

“We used inviting, warm colors in the room and made sure our area doesn’t, as much as possible, look like a prison,” he says. “It needed to be inviting and shouldn’t be just slabs of hard concrete, because that’s not a learning environment. So, yes, you’re still in a prison, but it’s a prison away from the prison. You need to have peace of mind when you’re trying to learn and study. And I want to give the students the opportunity to have something positive to talk about when they speak with family or friends back home.”

In addition to a better physical environment, Chef

Hill also upgraded the curriculum and began utilizing the resources of the Culinary Institute of America as its educational backbone. But Chef Hill wanted to inject hope into the program for life after prison, too, and worked to build an employer network for his graduates to tap into following parole.

To do that, he also realized his program had to build credibility with culinary professionals, so he began the Food Service Symposium, an annual event that brings in culinary and foodservice leaders to lecture, talk with and update students on trends in the industry, including employment prospects.

Just as importantly, a highlight of the symposium is the preparation and serving of a five-star meal to attendees that showcases the program and the talent of its students. Proof of the event’s success, popularity — and importance — is that there is a waiting list of industry professionals seeking to attend.

Chef Hill’s own culinary journey began when he was only 8 years old. “I remember my momma let me pick something to cook out of an old Betty Crocker cookbook,” he says. “I picked a chicken and vegetable soup because the picture looked good on the page. I attempted to make the soup; after adding all the ingredients and the right amount of liquids, I cooked it too long and the liquid evaporated — it was more like a stew than a

ACF Chef Jimmy Lee Hill, HAAC

soup. I let my parents taste it, and they said, ‘Jimmy this is pretty good.’ Then I took some next door to our neighbor and they said, ‘Boy, Jimmy, this is some kind of good.’ I don’t know if they were affirming or giving me emotional support and at the same time encouraging me to continue, to be better at what I was doing. I now continue to do the same with my students.”

While, at first, Chef Hill had to recruit students for his fledgling program, now, he has students referred to him, not only from within the prison, but from other institutions as well.

“I feel my students, regardless of the circumstances as to why they are here, once they enroll in the culinary arts program, they deserve the same chance as a [CIA] or a Johnson and Wales student to receive the same training and information to become a well-rounded culinary professional,” Chef Hill says.

The program accomplishes that by using ACF- and industry-recognized curricula and certifications, including the Foundations of Restaurant Management, Culinary Arts Level 1 and 2, the ServSafe Food Manager program and the AHLEI (American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute) Start program.

“Everybody loves food, and everyone loves affirmation,” Chef Hill says. “There isn’t often a lot of good affirmation being spread around in the correctional facility. So, when someone is doing the right thing or they prepare a great dish, I tell them. If I persistently repeat that they are excelling in class, the more they hear it and the more they believe it and continue to do well.”

“Coldwater Kitchen,” the documentary featuring ACF Chef Jimmy Lee Hill (HAAC)’s 30-plusyear culinary training program at Lakeland Correctional Center in Coldwater, Mich., and three of his students, won the 2023 James Beard Award for Best Documentary. Click here to watch a clip and see the upcoming screening schedule.

Click here for more stories in the Sept/Oct 2024 issue of National Culinary Review, published by the American Culinary Federation.