Trailblazing Tsawwassen chef heads to national stage for Top Chef Canada’s 13th season
Highly acclaimed Indigenous chef Stephanie Baryluk is making B.C. proud by competing on Top Chef Canada, streaming from Oct. 20.
“It’s an incredible honour to be part of Canada’s toughest culinary competition,” Baryluk said on Facebook.
The Tsawwassen chef brings a deep connection to her culture and ancestry to the table.
As a Teetl'it Gwich'in woman from Teetl'it Zheh, also known as Fort McPherson, in the Northwest Territories, her culinary style is shaped by a childhood spent hunting, fishing, and travelling across the Arctic tundra.
She spoke with Simon Fraser University about growing up watching her grandmother, auntie, and her mom always cooking and feeding anyone who walked through their door. For her, food is a way to connect with people, and staples like caribou, moose, and whitefish remain central to her heritage.
Now 36, Baryluk lives in Tsawwassen with her husband (also an experienced chef) and two kids.
Outside of her home kitchen, she has built a strong reputation as a leader in advancing Indigenous food systems.
In 2023, she helped develop Simon Fraser University's Rooted Indigenous Food Program.
Building on that community vision, she also co-founded the majority Indigenous and women-owned social enterprise Nihkhah Inc.
As outlined on Nihkhah’s website, the social enterprise uses food as a tool for cultural revitalization and community healing. It brings Indigenous knowledge into public life through four core pathways: food security, community wellness, economic sovereignty and reconciliation.
Through her dedication to heritage, sustainability, and education, she earned a spot among Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2024 and a WXN Food Industry Award.
She also expanded her work by launching Mrs B's Jerky, creating a beef-based take inspired by traditional caribou dried meat, Nilii Gaii.
“I come from strong Indigenous women. By promoting Indigenous cuisine, I hope I can make them proud,” she told SFU in an interview.
This season brings a unique twist to the show.
In a franchise first, the premiere episode will feature three standout Top Chef Canada alums returning for another shot at glory. They will face off against nine new competitors from across the country, including Samuel Chastenay-Joseph, a head chef from Montréal, Quebec; Kathryn Ferries, representing an Ottawa butcher and market; and Lifini “Lif” Kalikutty, a chef from Markham, Ontario.
The rest of the new competitor lineup includes Abigail Lopez, a private chef from Edmonton, Alberta; Giovanni Meyer, a private chef from Milton, Ontario; Sara Raspa from Montréal's Le Violon; Hilarie Vatcher, who cooks in St. John's, N.L.; and Sebouh Yacoubian from Toronto.
“This season the chefs will collaborate and celebrate their diverse culinary backgrounds while drawing inspiration from the extraordinary landscapes, ingredients and stories from across the true north,” said Corus Entertainment’s in its Sept. 22 release.
Host Eden Grinshpan guides the season once again, joined by a familiar panel of judges: restaurateur Janet Zuccarini, chef Mark McEwan, food expert Mijune Pak, and fermenter and author David Zilber.
Contestants will also cook for a stellar lineup of guest judges and tasters throughout the season, including recent winner Coulson Armstrong, global culinary icons like Daniel Boulud and May Chow, and notable figures such as Sophie Grégoire Trudeau.
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Radha Agarwal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Delta Optimist.