Seasons 1-3 of Fox’s Next Level Chef include three impressive winners, and fans are reflecting on where they are in their lives now.
Next Level Chef is quickly moving into its fourth season behind world-famous celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. The series utilizes a unique format with its kitchen set, using tiered kitchens sitting on top of one another for chefs to use to cook their meals in competition.
Fox began airing Next Level Chef in January 2022, and in that time, three talented chefs have come out on top during the series’ first three seasons. Since then, those winners have continued building their competitive cooking successes after winning $250,000.
Every Winner of Next Level Chef Seasons 1-3
Stephanie "Pyet" Despain
Stephanie “Pyet” Despain kicked things off for Next Level Chef by winning the show’s inaugural season in 2022. The 33-year-old social media star emerged victorious over 14 other competitors, taking out pro chef Maria Scott in the final round.
Since then (per her Instagram page), she has gone on to bigger and better things. This includes developing pop-up restaurants all over the United States and bringing her food to people in multiple states nationwide.
In Fall 2023, she was named the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Wichita State University’s W. Frank Barton School of Business. She held a keynote presentation there and shared her journey with students and fans before leading a networking session.
She also had the opportunity to hold a mentoring session and meet with the school's leadership team, which helped her develop ideas for programming and curriculum.
Utilizing her cooking experience, Despain wrote her cookbook, Rooted in Fire: A Celebration of Native American and Mexican Cooking. The book is open for preorders and is expected to be released on October 7.
On top of everything already listed, Next Level Chef Season 1’s winner is working as a producer on a short film, Courage, which does not yet have a release date.
It tells the story of a young Native American boy struggling with self-confidence before his uncle introduces him to the art of Hoop Dance, turning his life around.
As for continuing on TV, Despain competes in the Food Network‘s Tournament of Champions Season 6.
Tucker Ricchio
33-year-old Tucker Ricchio took over the winner’s slot for Next Level Chef Season 2. The professional chef, based out of San Jose, California, defeated fellow pro chef Chris Spinosa in the final round and won the $250,000 grand prize.
Now, while also focusing on fitness, Ricchio is a traveling private chef and an executive chef at her restaurant, Lira (per Instagram). Her menu includes high-end food inspired by cultures worldwide, including a Dubai Cheesecake.
The core of Lira is New American cuisine, bringing together various cultures and highlighting the employees’ passion and creativity. She uses high-quality ingredients in her food to give customers the best culinary experience possible.
Additionally, Ricchio has made other appearances on the Food Network following her win on Next Level Chef. Recently, she was seen on the hit series Chopped, continuing her run in competitive cooking in a January 2025 episode.
Gabi Chappel
Next Level Chef’s most recent winner is 30-year-old social media chef Gabi Chappel. In the final round, she pushed past professional chef Zach Laidlaw and home cook Christina Miros to become the show’s reigning champion.
After winning, Chappel continued her work with Ramsay by working at Ramsay’s Garage at F1 Vegas, one of the premier food locales in the world. Located directly next to a pit lane, Chappel served exquisite dishes to the top names in and around the racing world.
She also launched a new YouTube series, Gabi’s Next Course, where she works with Ramsay on street-level cuisine. She takes her mastery of spice and flavor to humble locales in street markets, looking for the perfect flavors to elevate her cooking to the next level.
Chappel changed her base of operations after winning Next Level Chef, moving from New York to Los Angeles after posting her gratitude for her time in the Big apple on Instagram.
In May 2024, Chappel gained notoriety for speaking out in favor of a shift in the culinary industry. She told Page Six that she wants to see kitchens eliminate their "toxic" environments and focus on the success and positivity that can come from the cooking world.
See more on the controversy that unfolded in Next Level Chef Season 3 here.
Next Level Chef is streaming on Hulu.
