A chef from Fort McPerson is taking her culinary skills to the national stage as a competitor on the upcoming season of Top Chef Canada.
Stephanie Baryluk is one of nine competitors joining the show’s 13th season.
Baryluk is an Indigenous chef and co-founder of Nihkah Inc, an organization based outside Vancouver focused on bringing Indigenous food, culture and knowledge into public life.
For Baryluk, appearing on the show is about more than competing.
“As a Gwich’in woman, as someone being raised in a very small Arctic community, it’s just an amazing accomplishment,” she told Cabin Radio. “I know I have a lot of support throughout our territory and throughout our nation.”
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Baryluk said she grew up watching Top Chef Canada, but never imagined she would one day be competing on the show herself.
She hopes her appearance will give Indigenous children the chance to see themselves represented in a national cooking competition.
“I think we should be able to dream. We should be able to hope. We should be able to think big,” she said.
Baryluk said her culinary journey began at home in Fort McPherson, where her parents taught her about traditional foods and culture. She remembers grinding caribou and moose meat at four years old and watching people around her work with traditional foods.
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Now, she wants to encourage Indigenous youth to draw on that same connection to culture while pursuing their own goals.
“With working hard and dedication, it can really take you places,” she said. “ If you start to believe in yourself, if you start to take some of those big steps, things are going to happen.”
Baryluk said she hopes to stay true to herself while showcasing Indigenous food alongside some of the country’s top chefs.
The 13th season of Top Chef Canada premieres on Tuesday, October 20 at 8pm MT on Flavour Network and will stream on StackTV.
