Who is Tristen Epps? All About Top Chef Season 22 Winner Impressing Judges With Extraordinary Culinary Skills

Tristen Epps was crowned as the winner of Top Chef season 22. The contestant impressed the judges with his extraordinary culinary skills, so much so that he won the show.

Rashi Desai
Written by Rashi Desai , Entertainment Journalist
Published on Jun 13, 2025 | 06:25 PM IST | 63K
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Tristen Epps via Getty Images

Tristen Epps was crowned the winner of Top Chef season 22. The Houston star impressed the judges with his extraordinary culinary skills and the flavors while competing against the other two finalists, Bailey Sullivan and Shuai Wang. 

Epps served a four-course meal for his final challenge, which not only had the best taste but also included a deep-rooted meaning. The finale episode of the reality show also marked the return of the chef judges from the previous seasons, who joined the contestants as sous chefs. 

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Other guest judges also included Richard Blais and Gregory Goudet. Moreover, Epps’ final dish had Afro-Caribbean roots.


Who is Tristen Epps? 

Tristen Epps, who was born in Trinidad, went on to win the 22nd season of Bravo's Top Chef. He developed an interest in cooking from his childhood days, as he spent most of his time traveling the world with his mother, who is in the military. Epps is known to immerse himself completely in the food culture of the countries he travels to. 

Additionally, the winner of the reality TV show earned his degree in Culinary Arts and Food & Beverage Industry Management from Johnson & Wales in Charlotte, New York. 

Ahead of competing in Top Chef, Epps went on to participate in ABC's The Taste in 2014. Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, who was also a part of the 1024 show, went on to become Tristen's mentor, on and off screen. 

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Meanwhile, following his win on Top Chef, Epps dedicated his victory to his late father. He said, "I didn't do it for me; I did it for so many people."

He added, "Somebody believed in me enough on their deathbed," referring to his father passing away while the chef was competing in the show. After the tragic news, Tristen Epps had almost made up his mind to quit the competition. However, he stayed back and made history.

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