The Truth About Jesa Henneberry From Big Restaurant Bet
Geoffrey Zakarian is giving eight chefs a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. According to a press release, the celebrity chef and restaurateur will be giving $250,000 to the winner of "Big Restaurant Bet," a new series that pits contestants against each other to determine who is ready to open and run their own restaurant. In the first episode, fans can look forward to watching the chefs prepare a "simple, one-bite dish" that reflects who they are and what the concept behind their restaurant would be.
We're guessing chef contestant Jesa Henneberry will be creating a healthy dish for that challenge. According to her website, Henneberry is a private chef who has experience in cooking with a focus on sports nutrition as well as vegan, paleo, ketogenic, and allergen-free diets. Though she graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, Henneberry eventually found her way to the National Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts. She's received media attention not only for her cooking skills but also for another entirely different talent.
Henneberry has been a competitive figure athlete
It's clear Jesa Henneberry loves a challenge! The Kitchn reports that Henneberry is no stranger to competitions. Not only is she a chef competing on "Big Restaurant Bet," but she also has experience as a competitive bodybuilder. When it comes to her diet to prepare for figure athlete competitions, Henneberry told the publication she wasn't interested in depriving herself, but rather strives to find solutions that are both healthy and delicious. Indeed, her website showcases the long list of recipes she's published, which includes healthy-yet-tasty-sounding dishes like truffle-roasted cauliflower and massaged kale with oven roasted tomatoes and pine nuts.
Henneberry has certainly had an abundant career in the culinary world. Food Network fans may recognize the chef for appearing on — and winning — an episode of "Chopped" in 2016. She also worked as a consulting chef for acclaimed New York City vegetarian restaurant Jajaja, and just this month, she was awarded a contract to open Maize Cocktails and Cocina, a new "globally inspired Mexican restaurant and cocktail bar" in Westfield, which she'll be opening alongside restaurateur Kamal Arora. Henneberry's career shows no signs of slowing, but whether it will be enough to impress Geoffrey Zakarian remains to be seen.
To find out how Jesa Henneberry fares on "Big Restaurant Bet," tune into the Food Network on April 5 at 10 p.m. ET.