Pyet DeSpain
Chef Pyet DeSpain
Pyet DeSpain is a Native American and Mexican American award winning social media and traveling private chef. She is the first winner of Gordon Ramsay's new groundbreaking TV show, Next Level Chef on Fox. In 2021, Pyet was named seventh best private chef in Los Angeles by Entrepreneur Magazine. Her life's work is dedicated to creating Indigenous Fusion Cuisine where she combines the food of heritage - both Native American and Mexican American. Pyet's passion is to uplift indigenous culture and traditions via storytelling, traveling and cooking from the soul. Check out her website - pyetsplate.com
Leonida Bonyo
Leonida, a Kenyan and Creole self-taught chef, brings a unique and versatile culinary style that reflects her rich cultural heritage. With a passion for creating memorable dining experiences, Leonida has been cooking up a storm at private events and tastings, where she blends diverse flavors with creativity and flair. Known for her vibrant personality and stylish presence, she loves to entertain guests, making every meal not just a feast for the palate but a total vibe.
Tiana Gee
Tiana Gee is a young Filipina and Black Los Angeles native who found her love for food at a very early age. Tiana Gee also known as Tee is breaking the mold on what it means to be considered a chef in todays day and age. She started off working in some amazing restaurants in the LA food scene where she then took her skills to New York to be the sous chef at her mentor, Marcus Samuelson’s Harlem eatery, Red Rooster.
Tee is continuing to navigate in what we now know as the future of the food industry and is the star of her YouTube channel, “ Cookin with Tee “, where she shares some of her recipes and techniques for home cooks. Tee is featured on Bon Appetit, Epicurious, Food Networks Chopped Next Gen, Ciao House Season 2, Beat Bobby Flay and is the winner of Its Compliplated, Tabitha Browns vegan cooking competition and Battle of the Decades. Tee is always working on multiple projects to showcase her love for food, culture and learning. Tee’s latest project she’s been working on is a heart-crafted pop up dinner series known as SoulPhil. SoulPhil is Tees ode to her heritage and a delicious way to get a taste of who she really is. You can connect with Tee and check out her latest work on her instagram @cheftianagee.
Alex Belew
Chef Alex Belew’s earliest childhood memories revolve around food. He grew up in the South, where food is the heart of the home. Many weekends were spent in his grandmother’s kitchen in Rover, Tn, helping her make buttermilk biscuits and boiled custard served in Mason Jars.
His culinary fundamentals were built at The Art Institute of Tennessee in Nashville, where he graduated with Honors with a Culinary Arts degree. Afterwards, Belew spent years learning, self-teaching, and working in some of the top kitchens in Nashville, including Husk by Sean Brock. Intrigued by creating an in-home dining experience to rival in-restaurant dining, Alex Belew Catering was established in 2007.
Belew stepped away from the commercial kitchen in 2012 to instruct high school students in Middle Tennessee, teaching knife skills, meat cutting, molecular gastronomy (food science), and nutrition. He eventually created the top culinary program in the state with his students winning the prestigious NRA Prostart Championship in 2014 at Blackman High School.
A 2014 visit to Chef Curtis Duffy’s three-Michelin-star rated Grace Restaurant was a life-changing event. That “flawless restaurant experience,” and a return visit to meet one-on-one with Chef Curtis, challenged everything Belew knew about the restaurant industry, and altered the trajectory of his career. No longer satisfied with just “serving food,” Belew was inspired to create a world-class dining experience in Middle Tennessee. To prepare, he honed his skills further by staging in prominent kitchens such as the Spoon & Stable, Blackberry Farm, Brasserie Jo’s, and Table 3.
He is the Hell's Kitchen Season 21 Battle of the Ages Winner!
Chef Jimmy Bio 2024
Chef founder of Matiz Catering, Jimmy Matiz, has had the honor of immersing himself in diverse cuisines and cultures worldwide for over a decade. From countries like Canada, Thailand, Colombia, Spain, and the USA, he has cooked for respected Chefs, Food Critics, and Celebrities in prestigious kitchens. Notable experiences include renowned chefs like Michael Mina in San Francisco and the three Michelin-starred "best restaurant in the world," El Celler de Can Roca in Spain.
His culinary journey is enriched by continuous learning in the field. In addition to being a professional Chef, he holds a title in Hospitality Business Management and has achieved two diplomas in the Science of Cooking from Harvard, as well as Mediterranean ingredients and Modernist Techniques from the University of Barcelona. While leading Matiz Catering, he has cooked for many high profile clients and companies, including Jane Goodall, Charlie Barnett, the Australian Embassy, Nobleman Magazine, SHEIN, Lamborghini and others. He has also made appearances on Food Network, winning one of the latest Chopped competitions and is set to expand the Matiz brand beyond private dining in early 2025.
Shannon Montgomery
Chef Shannon is an exceptional culinary artist renowned for her mastery in the realm of haute cuisine. With a passion for creating culinary experiences unique to every customer, Shannon has crafted a stellar reputation as a Private Chef. Drawing upon an illustrious career that spans Michelin-starred restaurants and other fine dining establishments, Shannon’s culinary journey as a Cake Decorator in her home town of Albuquerque, New Mexico to the world renowned 3 Michelin Star Restaurant, ABaC in Barcelona Spain, is a testament to her unwavering commitment to culinary excellence. Her ability to curate menus tailored to the unique preferences and dietary needs of her guests showcases an unparalleled level of professionalism, adaptability, and creativity. With an innate ability to create captivating dining experiences, Shannon continues to redefine the art of private dining in the Los Angeles area and beyond.
Cheven 2023 Bio
Chef Keven Alan Lee, also known as “Cheven” amongst his patrons and associates, is an internationally recognized culinary mastermind who is revolutionizing the catering industry, one event at a time! Cheven specializes in internationally inspired cuisine with a focus on a modern farm to table approach. His creations are an eclectic version of Classical French Mediterranean with strong Pacific Rim and Asian influences. The presentations and the combination of flavors are simply breathtaking. Previously, Cheven owned and operated My World on a Plate, and is now running CKL Events catering and events based in Los Angeles, California.
Tucker Ricchio
Local chef Tucker Ricchio was an emerging talent in the San Francisco restaurant scene, working in Michelin-starred kitchens like Acquerello, before the pandemic hit. After widespread closures left her without work, she pivoted to teaching cooking courses online with startup Truffle Shuffle.
The more classes she taught, the more her reputation grew – leading to her eventual casting on season two of Gordon Ramsay’s “Next Level Chef” on Fox.
In a span of five weeks and 15 episodes, all filmed in Las Vegas, Ricchio competed against, and beat, 17 other chefs to win a $250,000 prize and a year of mentorship under Ramsay and co-hosts – chefs Nyesha Arrington and Richard Blais. Now, she’s returned home to San Francisco with increased experience and contacts, and eager to get cooking for clients.
Chris Spinosa
Chris Spinosa is a Long island, NY native, who is now slinging some culinary blessings out in Florida. Originally a musician, Chris studied at the University of Connecticut and received his Bachelor of Arts in Music. He always worked in kitchens on the side just to make some money, but he found himself slowly growing what is now his true primary passion in life: food!
Shortly after graduating from the Institute of Culinary Education, Chris started off his culinary exploits in NYC at Jean-Georges’s Asian concept “Spice Market”. This job would be the first of many he would undertake in the NY dining circuit. Other establishments he’s worked at include Tom Colicchio’s “Craft”, April Bloomfield’s “John Dory Oyster Bar”, Steven Starr’s “Buddakan, and the infamous NYC French bistro “Bagatelle NYC”. These along with many more locations culminated into what is now the basis of Chris’s culinary experiences.
If spending almost a decade in NYC wasn’t enough, shortly after moving to West Palm Beach, FL, Chris was recruited onto Season 2 of Gordon Ramsay’s “Next Level Chef” which finished as a finalist and certainly a provocative character among the cast. His cuisine “holy trinity” is comprised of the following: French-mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Eastern-Asian cuisines with an emphasis on Korean and Chinese influences.
Chris has now taken his skills on the road as a private chef. These days, you will find him as a cooking for pro-athletes, as well as some of the aristocrats who inhabit one of the most expensive zip codes in the United States. His culinary adventure is ever-progressing, and he is always on the go for new experiences in both food, and in people.
Ryan O'Sullivan
Ryan O'Sullivan, hailing from Cork, Ireland, is a talented chef known for his exceptional cooking skills, and alternative pastas, which earned him the title of winner in "Hell's Kitchen" Season 22. Trained at Cork Institute of Technology, he honed his craft in various prestigious kitchens in Ireland and the U.S. His culinary prowess and innovative dishes impressed Gordon Ramsay, securing him as the first ever Irishman to be crowned Champion.