Who is Luna Contreras? Meet the “brown trans girl” from Netflix’s Snack vs. Chef

Snack vs. Chef is Netflix’s new culinary competition series, featuring 12 innovative chefs competing to win a $50,000 cash prize.

Luna Contreras is one of the contestants who participated in the reality TV show. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, the talented chef describes herself as a “brown trans girl” on her Instagram page. She is a proud transgender woman, who is also quite vocal in supporting the LGBTQ+ community through her social media posts.

Sharing the news of her being a contestant on Snack vs. Chef in an Instagram post, Luna wrote:

“My grandma would’ve been incredibly happy for me as a trans woman. Happy to have put myself out there and continue to raise positive awareness to trans youth and represent Portland!”

She mentioned that the filming of the culinary show was held during the pandemic in Stamford, Connecticut.

---

Details on Luna Contreras’s work experience as a chef

According to her LinkedIn page, Luna Contreras has spent most of her career working at multiple restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area.

After her one-year-long internship at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, Luna joined Fonda in the San Francisco Bay Area as a sous chef.

Following her three-year stint at Fonda, she joined Mexico DF as their co-executive chef. In 2009, Luna moved to Mamacita restaurant as an executive chef and from there, she started making a name for herself in the culinary industry. Her talent was also immensely appreciated at Padrecito, a restaurant where Luna worked after Mamacita.

In 2020, Luna started working at Nightingale in Portland but left the job after eight months. She then decided to be the executive chef of Portland’s well-known restaurant, Chelo. Luna is also a member (board of directors) of a non-profit organization called Family Meal.

On the Family Meal’s website, Luna’s bio reads:

“Luna has fought most of her life affirming and embracing her true identity. She finally embarked in starting hormone replacement therapy after a long battle with gender dysphoria. This continued journey brings a renewed passion to the approach of staying humble, honest, and real.”

Going by her Instagram, she likes sharing her thoughts through lengthy posts. In one of her most recent posts, she thanked Snack vs. Chef for giving her "a rewarding experience.” She further mentioned that the show helped her gain friends as well as the confidence to challenge herself with many new adventures.

While Luna has touched many hearts with her generosity and culinary talent from Portland, she is now all set to do the same by participating in the Netflix culinary show, Snack vs. Chef.

---

Snack vs. Chef season 1 contestants

A total of 12 contestants, aka talented chefs, are set to participate in Netflix’s new show, Snack vs. Chef. In addition to Luna, the participants include Hari Cameron, Christian Gill, Kristopher Edelen, Danny Kievit, Sandy Dee Hall, Clara Park, Lauryn Bodden, Ali Manning, Lauren Jude, Scottish Francis, and Kevin Gregory.

The official synopsis reads:

“Hosted by comedians Megan Stalter and Hari Kondabolu, this new food competition sees 12 chefs go head-to-head in the ultimate snack showdown. Not only must they recreate some of the world's most iconic snacks, they'll also be challenged to invent their own original snacks inspired by beloved classics. Only one will prevail and claim the $50,000 prize."

While Megan Stalter and Hari Kondabolu are the co-hosts, the panel of judges includes Chef Helen Park and culinary scientist Ali Bouzari.

Snack vs. Chef season 1 will air on Netflix on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, at 3.00 AM ET.