Who is Sakari Smithwick from Hell's Kitchen 2022 (Season 21)? Chef started culinary career as McDonald's grill cook

With 18 contestants, Hell's Kitchen season 21 is set to premiere on Thursday, September 29 at 8 pm ET. The official synopsis of Hell's Kitchen reads:

"The competition is bound to be fierce, as each team is put through rigorous culinary challenges, featuring high-stakes rewards and punishments, all with age-defying bragging rights on the line. But only those who possess the right combination of ingredients will continue in the competition until one is named the winner."

The synopsis further states,

"At stake is a life-changing grand prize, including a Head Chef position, a cash prize of $250,000 and the coveted title of HELL’S KITCHEN winner."

Season 21 of Hell's Kitchen will feature contestants splitting into teams of red and blue depending on their age. These contestants will perform complex culinary tasks in order to win a dream job at Gordon Ramsay's chain of restaurants.

Among the contestants, viewers will also meet chef Sakari Smithwick. Read on to find out more about Smithwick, who started his culinary career as a grill cook at McDonald's.

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Smithwick from Hell's Kitchen spent 11 years learning the culinary art

An Amityville native, Sakari has dedicated years to becoming impeccable as a chef. Initially, after completing his BBA degree in Restaurant Management, Sakari started working in a number of restaurants as a Chef De Partie from 2016 to 2019. He worked at places like Marea, Eleven Madison Park, and Ukiyo.

Moreover, looking at his career graph, it can be said that the Hell's Kitchen contestant has had great experiences throughout his culinary journey. Apart from working in the above-mentioned restaurants, he joined Jewel Bako as an Executive Sous Chef where he was in charge of marketing, training, ordering, and also creating many dishes for the restaurant's menu.

While working at the restaurant for eight months, Smithwick simultaneously also worked at Resident Hospitality as a part-time Sous Chef. He worked there for 11 months and left both the places where he was working by February 2020.

Finally, in December 2019, he joined WS New York as a Consulting Chef and worked there for three months. While working there, he helped chef Eli Kaimeh open his restaurant at Hudson Yards.

In February 2020, Sakari joined Restaurant Tribeca as a full-time pastry chef. He was in charge of pastries and breads at a two Michelin star restaurant in Hezee, Netherlands. Alongside working there, the chef also started building his own restaurant called Noble Promise. He inaugurated the restaurant in February 2020. It has now been two years, and Sakari is a full-fledged owner and chef of his restaurant. The main vision for the restaurant is to provide fine dining services to low-income communities.

Apart from owning a restaurant, the chef owns a studio under the same name, Noble Promise Studios, through which he promotes new talent in the culinary field. He has also created a healthy energy drink, Cyber Green Juice, that he endorses through the World of Women platform.

Throughout his career, Smithwick has also traveled the world. Most recently, he went to Europe where he spent a year working. The chef also appeared in Food Network's Chopped in 2019. Even though he did not win the show, Sakari made it to the final dessert round.

Viewers can watch the premiere of Hell's Kitchen on Thursday, September 29 on FOX.