Chef de Cuisine Elevates Airport Dining
For Andrew Aiton, the journey to a career in culinary arts started at home in California, growing up in a large Scottish-Catholic family. Aiton is now Charlotte Douglas International Airport’s (CLT) Chef de Cuisine for HMSHost by Avolta, the Airport’s food and beverage concessionaire.
“I am from a family of nine, and cooking was not a necessity but a requirement. I didn’t know what leftovers were until I moved out at 16,” joked Aiton. “I enjoyed cooking with my grandparents. We always ate dinner together as a family, and Sundays were always a big meal we would cook all day together.”
Chef Aiton is the third oldest of seven kids, and most of his siblings also work in the service industry.
Cooking Up Star Power
After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America and earning a business degree from Cal State University in Long Beach, Calif., Aiton served as the executive chef at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., and worked in several other restaurants. Fun fact: He says the late singer and actress Whitney Houston was probably the biggest celebrity he had the pleasure of cooking for.
“Whitney once visited the fish restaurant I worked at in Seal Beach with Bobby Brown and their dog,” recalled Aiton. “We reserved the entire upstairs for them, and guests could hear Whitney singing while enjoying our signature Caramelized Salmon. Over the years, I also met Justin Bieber, Sandra Bullock, Oscar de la Hoya and many more.”
Joining HMSHost
In November 2021, Aiton moved to Charlotte and joined HMSHost by Avolta at CLT, where he manages food operations, overseeing between 1,400 and 1,700 team members and more than 60 Airport restaurants—including the top-performing 1897 Market (named after the year HMSHost was founded).
“I do refreshes for multiple units throughout the year,” said Aiton. “1897 Market was different. I changed 95% of the menu based on local, fresh, home-cooking ingredients to nourish travelers and make them feel at home.”
The new menu features popular dishes like the mouthwatering “1897 Burger” – a beef patty, fried bologna, pimento cheese, onion strings, shredded lettuce, tomato and mustard. Other favorites include the “Chicken ‘In’ Waffle” and the “Pork Shank” with cheesy grits, crispy Brussels sprouts, braised pork, gravy, arugula and pickled onion.
CLT was recently named one of the “10 Best Airports for Dining” in USA Today's latest Readers’ Choice Awards; Aiton was honored but not surprised. “I never put much thought into a ranking,” said Aiton. “I know CLT HMSHost is far superior to any airport out there, and I stand by our execution.”
Other Palate Pleasing Duties
Developing recipes and menus is just one part of the job. Chef Aiton is also responsible for food safety, guest service, brand relationships, compliance, training and national support. He participates in numerous CLT events, such as the Runway 5K, the Charity Golf tournament, American Airlines collaborations and HMSHost Associate programs.
Aiton said his favorite dish to cook is anything he hasn't mastered, and his favorite restaurant is “every restaurant in France,” he admitted, “where local is a way of life.”
For those of us eager to become better cooks in our own humble kitchens, Chef Aiton offers this advice: “Try anything, start simple, and expand,” said Aiton. “In today’s world, you can get anything delivered, but don’t. Cook from your heart. Julia Child once said, ‘The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking, you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.’”