Mellow Mushroom fell silent as Chef Gordon Ramsay announced the Season 4 MasterChef Junior champion—9-year-old Addison of River Forest, Illinois. But Avery Kyle’s dedicated fan base didn’t skip more than a beat.
Within seconds, the restaurant was once again vibrating with chants of “Avery; Avery.” The crowd cheered for Baton Rouge’s best young chef, congratulating her for taking second in one of the country’s toughest culinary competitions.
Kyle took the outcome in stride, giving a thank-you speech to her fans, friends and family for supporting her throughout her MasterChef “rollercoaster.”
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“This was amazing, extraordinarily one heck of a ride,” she says. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I feel truly blessed to have been on the show.”
One of the youngest contestants to compete in the finale and the only contestant to earn a spot on the show through a video audition, the 9-year-old culinary genius says she’s happy with her performance in the competition and that the experience made her both a better chef and a better person.
Kyle’s parents, Sharon and Ronnie Kyle, and her sister, Cameron Kyle, agree that Avery made them proud.
“We’ve gotten nothing but support,” Avery’s mom, Sharon, says. “Avery’s gotten so much support from her friends and teachers at school and from the community.”
Avery isn’t sure if she’ll compete on any more cooking shows, in part because she has nine years to wait until she’s eligible for anything other than MasterChef Junior.
In the meantime, she will continue to cook at community events with other Baton Rouge chefs and is in the midst of writing a cookbook of Kyle family recipes dubbed “Southern Bayou Bistro.”
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“I still feel like I’m a winner,” Avery announced after the finale—and in the eyes and hearts of Baton Rougeans, she is exactly that.
To view more images from the recent MasterChef Junior viewing party at Mellow Mushroom, click on the gallery thumbnails:
Also: See a photo gallery from the Mellow Mushroom viewing party of the second-to-last episode of MasterChef Junior.