Yakima man competes on Master Chef cooking show

A Yakima man makes his television debut Wednesday on Master Chef, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s cooking competition.

Shawn Niles, 35, is a Yakima native and pastor.

But he’s also a diehard hobby cook with his own social media presence and plenty of friends who enjoy his cooking.

He counts Ramsay – known for his attitude-filled TV style – among his top role models in the culinary world.

When a friend told him about a Master Chef tryout in Portland in April 2016, he knew it was time to check an item off his bucket list.

From thousands of contestants, he prevailed to become one of 40 to compete on the show’s eighth season, which kicks off at 8 p.m. Wednesday on Fox.

Besides being the only competitor from Washington state, he is one of two ministers.

Niles can’t reveal any secrets about the show’s outcome, but he called it one of the most challenging and exciting opportunities of his life.

The contestants are vying for a $250,000 prize.

If Niles wins, he’s planning to use the money to provide for his wife and 2-year-old son, who enjoys cooking with dad.

But he also might be able to invest some funding in the community he calls home.

He’s already planning to launch a cooking program through his church, Dads’ House, with the Yakima Police Athletic League.