Michael Wray won Hell’s Kitchen season 1: Where is he now?

Every Hell’s Kitchen winner has the opportunity to launch their career in a way that other emerging chefs can only dream of. Is that the case for Season 1 winner Michael Wray?

The first season of Hell’s Kitchen premiered in 2005. It’s been a few years since the cooking competition became a reality TV show, but it all has to start somewhere.

Michael Wray is a talented contestant who ranked first at the end of season 1. He was only 27 years old at that time.

He stepped up to the plate to prove himself as a worthy chef from Fort Collins, Colorado. What is he doing now since winning the show?

This is what Michael Wray is doing now

When Michael first found out he won Hell’s Kitchen, he initially agreed to work with Gordon Ramsay in London. Shortly after, he changed his mind and decided to go in a different direction.

Taking on the executive chef position at the Standard Hotel in Los Angeles is a little more meaningful to him. The Standard Hotel is considered one of the more unique and upscale destinations in Southern California.

He then moved to Arizona to start running a knife company called Skull & Cleavers. In addition, he is also a cooking class instructor.

According to his Instagram, food is still extremely important to Michael. He posts a lot of food-related content, including chopped fresh onions, roasted chicken, raw beef he’s preparing to cook, and more.

Based on his social media presence, being a chef is something he’s still deeply impressed with after his time on Hell’s Kitchen.

He describes himself in his Instagram bio as a “professional chef.” One of his posts from April 17, 2020, shows off a tattoo he has on his finger that spells out the word “CHEF” in capital letters.

One of the unfortunate realities of Michael’s life is that he faced a years-long addiction, but the good news is that he is currently in recovery.