Meet the Chef
Pyet DeSpain
Pyet is short for her inherited Native American name, Pyetwetmokwe. As a proud member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, and with deep roots in her Mexican heritage, Pyet’s work reflects the balance of both cultures. Her approach to food is deeply personal — a blend of identity, history, and the drive to keep ancestral traditions alive through everyday cooking.
From Family Kitchens to the National Stage
Where It All Began
Pyet’s culinary journey started in the warmth of her family’s taquerias in Kansas City, where she was captivated by the aromas, flavors, and stories that filled the kitchen. Raised between the Osage Indian Reservation and the heart of the Midwest, her childhood was rich with cultural duality — Native American and Mexican — and food was always at the center.
What began as curiosity became purpose. After attending culinary school and earning a certification in Wellness & Nutrition, she founded Pyet’s Plate in 2015 to promote healing and nourishment through whole foods and Indigenous ingredients.
A Force in the Food World
First Winner of Gordon Ramsay’s Next Level Chef
Pyet burst onto the national stage as the first-ever winner of FOX’s Next Level Chef — Gordon Ramsay’s groundbreaking culinary competition spotlighting rising culinary talent. She was also named one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top 25 Private Chefs in Los Angeles, and her voice continues to grow in the food world as a cultural leader and global private chef.
Pyet has also appeared on the Food Network’s Tournament of Champions, where host Guy Fieri gathers 32 of the world’s top chefs for the most intense, single-elimination bracket competition in culinary television. Competing against world-renowned chefs in high-pressure, head-to-head battles, Pyet proved once again that her culinary skills and cultural vision belong on the world stage.
TEDx Talk: Reclaiming Identity Through Food
In her TEDx Talk, Pyet shares how reconnecting with Indigenous foodways helped her overcome adversity, reclaim her identity, and rise in the culinary world. From facing homelessness to becoming a celebrated chef, her story is a powerful reminder of the strength found in honoring your roots.
Cooking with Purpose
Every plate Pyet creates blends Native American and Mexican flavors, honoring her dual heritage with a modern touch. Her mission is to uplift Indigenous culture through food, inspire reconnection to land and seasonality, and teach the power of ancestral ingredients in everyday wellness. Whether cooking, speaking, or traveling, she champions cultural preservation and food sovereignty through lived experience and bold storytelling.
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