A Columbus chef overcame addiction through cooking. Now she’s paying it forward locally

Brittney Espersen fell in love with cooking in middle school.

Espersen often surprised her mom with elaborate cakes from recipes out of an old, orange Betty Crocker cookbook. The book sits in her kitchen to this day.

A substance abuse problem that began in high school grew more serious over time as Espersen married and had two children. But her passion for cooking supported her through recovery and rebuilding a healthy life over the last 10 years.

Now Espersen uses those culinary skills to pay it forward in Columbus as the general manager and chef at The Food Mill and now serves on the board of directors for Open Door Community House.

Espersen is an example of what can happen when two organizations are working together, Olivia Amos, executive director of The Food Mill, told the Ledger-Enquirer.

“Not only through that process of recovery and someone focused on rebuilding their life,” Amos said. “But afterwards and how that can transition into being in the right place.”

Rock Bottom and an Open Door

Espersen’s substance abuse went untreated while attending Harris County High School. And she became addicted to heroin, methamphetamine and opiates.

“Basically, if it didn’t come in a needle,” she told the Ledger-Enquirer. “I didn’t want it.”

Addiction took everything from Espersen. She was homeless, penniless, no clothing and no way to feed herself.

Her son and daughter wanted their mom to come home, but their mom was lost. Their relationship deteriorated to the point her daughter wouldn’t call Espersen “Mom”.

She suffered from lethal overdoses twice.

Espersen was at rock bottom when she began her recovery at Damascus Way a decade ago.

“I didn’t want to live that way anymore,” she said.

While in the drug rehabilitation program, Espersen committed to the recovery process. As part of the program, her daily chore was to cook for the other women.

One day, while she was cooking, Kim Jenkins, executive director of Open Door Community House, approached Espersen.

“Have you heard about my culinary arts program?” Jenkins asked her.

“No, ma’am,” she responded.

This meeting was the Lord planting a seed in her mind, Espersen believes, because it became a milestone in her recovery.

The 20-week training program teaches culinary arts and life skills for individuals desiring to learn new skills and a living wage.

Although she was not far enough along in her recovery to take advantage of the culinary arts program at that moment, meeting Jenkins gave her a goal for what she could do in the months and years to come.

Espersen graduated from the culinary arts program in 2017.

Meeting Olivia Amos

After completing her recovery program at Damascus Way, Espersen worked at the Piggly Wiggly on 13th while a student in Open Door’s culinary arts program.

While working at the grocery store, Espersen got in a conversation with Ernie Smallman.

“You’re in culinary school?” he asked her.

“Yes,” Espersen responded.

“I know just about every restaurant owner downtown,” Smallman told her. “If you’d like for me to introduce you to someone after graduation.”

Smallman went on to introduce Espersen to Olivia Amos, executive director of The Food Mill.

As a non-profit organization, The Food Mill is more than a restaurant. It partners with other Columbus organizations to offer a Farm to School program, mobile market and other resources to educate residents about nutrition and providing a path to better themselves economically.

After meeting, Amos and Espersen connected immediately, Amos said.

When Espersen met Amos, she was initially stumped by the woman’s first question for her.

“Can you flip an egg?” Amos asked her.

“No, ma’am,” Espersen answered.

The lack of experience didn’t deter Amos who saw potential in Espersen.

“She just had a desire to really learn and better herself,” Amos said. “And she was such a great light in the kitchen every day. And that just spread throughout the entire restaurant.”

Amos’ positive impact has been profound, Espersen said. Where some employers may be hesitant to take a chance on someone who is recovering from substance abuse, Amos supported Espersen through the journey as she changed her life.

Espersen became the general manager and chef of the Food Mill in 2022.

“I can flip many eggs now,” Espersen said.

Passing on what’s she’s learned

Since beginning at the Food Mill, Espersen’s been passionate about helping others recover from substance abuse.

One way she’s found to do this is through the Food Mill’s partnership with Truth Spring Trade School. Students interested in culinary arts can intern at the Food Mill where they learn some basic cooking skills along with life skills, like how to schedule doctor appointments.

“These are a lot of things that some of these men and women have never done or never been taught,” Espersen said. “(We’re) just trying to teach them a different way of life than what they’ve been shown.”

This is now the third year the Food Mill has worked with these students.

Along with adults, Espersen also gets fulfillment from teaching younger students as well. The Food Mill partners with Jordan Vocational High School to teach culinary arts.

Watching their growth has been rewarding, Espersen said. One student had no idea what a microgreen was when he began in the program, but went on to do well in a competition. He placed sixth out of 50 children, Espersen said, with a microgreen dish he’d made at the Food Mill.

“I love being able to teach about the different nutrients that food has,” she said. “And the different vitamins that it houses in it.”

The Food Mill is currently partnering with Open Door and other community organizations along with the Columbus Consolidated Government to open a shared kitchen. The kitchen will be available to students graduating from the Open Door Community Culinary Program as well as the general public.

Espersen joined the board of directors at Open Door Community House earlier this year, continuing her mission to help others along in their journeys after Open Door helped her.

“I’m so proud of her for being appointed to the Board at Open Door,” Amos said. “And being that voice not only for the Board, but for the community for both Open Door and for the Food Mill.”

Another commitment Espersen’s taken on in recent years has been to rebuild relationships with her kids. Her daughter, the eldest, plans to work with Espersen at the Food Mill over the summer before leaving for college in the fall.

“(Recovery) feels really good,” Espersen said. “But it’s also hard. Life will always stay hard…I have found the more positive actions that you do in life tends to outweigh the negative from your past.”