BOZEMAN — Bryce Stubbs is back in Montana after competing on national television — and he didn’t just compete; he won.
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“It definitely didn’t set in for a couple weeks,” Bryce said.
We first told Bryce’s story last month. The Churchill native grew up learning to love cooking from his father and even worked in oil fields to save money for pastry school. Then everything changed when he got a call inviting him to compete on national television.
“I had to call my boss and figure all that out. The second week of January, I was like, ‘Here we go, I guess,’” Bryce said.
Bryce traveled to Los Angeles to compete on “100 Cooks,” hosted by Terry Crews. Competing as contestant No. 39, Bryce faced 99 chefs from across the country in a series of cooking challenges.
His first challenge was a one-on-one competition.
“We had to cook a rotisserie chicken. ‘Rotisserie Remix’ is what it was called, and we just had to make our best dish with a rotisserie chicken,” Bryce said.
Bryce won the challenge, eliminating the other chef, and continued building momentum throughout the competition.
Over nine episodes and eight cooking challenges, Bryce advanced through the field with his cooking skills, eventually reaching the final two contestants.
“Did you ever think that you’d be in the final two?” I asked.
“No. Not at all. I don’t get emotional super often, but on the show Terry’s like, ‘How do you feel?’ and I choked up because I was like, ‘This is crazy,’” Bryce said.
For the finale, contestants were given complete freedom in the kitchen.
“The last challenge was the only challenge that was like, ‘Do whatever you want,’” Bryce said.
Bryce already knew what he wanted to make. Before the show began, each contestant was allowed to request five ingredients.
His picks were elk tenderloin, huckleberries, Oaxaca cheese, taro root and Anaheim peppers.
Using those ingredients, Bryce prepared elk tenderloin with corn purée, huckleberry sauce and taro frites — a dish he called “The Story of My Life.”
The plate honored his travels, his father, who passed away when Bryce was 13, and his Montana roots.
“I feel like I got to bring in different aspects of home, and then at the end just tie everything up and was like, ‘This is where I’m from,’” Bryce said.
The judges crowned Bryce the winner, calling out contestant No. 39.
“When they said I won, it was a lot of emotions, and I was also kind of like, ‘What the heck just happened?’” Bryce said.
Now Bryce is back home in Montana not only as a “100 Cooks” champion, but also $215,000 richer.
“The whole goal is to get better and become a better cook and become a really good chef, and so the money has allowed me to not waste any more time,” Bryce said.
Since the show ended, Bryce has already traveled to Paris for pastry school. This winter, he plans to head to Spain to learn in a Michelin-starred restaurant — a dream he hopes to pursue for the rest of his life.
“Keep cooking. I think that’s what I want to do, is just keep cooking,” Bryce said.
Viewers can watch Bryce’s season of “100 Cooks” on the Food Network website or on HBO Max with a subscription.
