| “ | I'm so happy... I mean, I can kiss everyone in the fucking mouth right now because I'm beyond words. | ” |
Trenton Garvey was a contestant on Season 20 of Hell's Kitchen. He was named the winner and awarded a Head Chef position at Gordon Ramsay Steak at Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, with a $250,000 salary.
Season 20
Episode 1/2
- Main article: Episode 2001 - Young Guns: Young Guns Come Out Shooting
- Main article: Episode 2002 - Young Guns: Temping the Meat
The eighteen Young Guns arrive at Las Vegas on a bus heading to Hell's Kitchen, and they drove past the real Hell's Kitchen restaurant. The bus arrived at Hell's Kitchen, where Marino greeted the chefs. Marino explained that Ramsay created a museum to celebrate the past nineteen seasons in honor of the twentieth season. Giving the tour were Shakala and Sean, who led the chefs into the museum. As the chefs toured the museum, they saw photos of past contestants, jackets hung, Hell's Kitchen Wall of Fame, and lines from past seasons. Then, they see video clips of moments from the show. The last stop was an exhibit of the doors used to reveal the winner of each season. Sean said that the final part of the tour was a documentary film about the show's history. However, the curtain pulled back to reveal an audience waiting for them and Ramsay on a stage behind them. Once on stage, Ramsay explained that the museum was meant to showcase the past, while the eighteen of them were the future. Ramsay added that the desire to become a chef was a dream for many young people, and food has evolved over the years since the show began. So, Ramsay announced that the season's winner would become his protégé and become the new Head Chef at Gordon Ramsay Steak at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. Afterwards, Ramsay announced the Signature Dish Challenge and gave the chefs 45 minutes to cook their dishes.
During the Signature Dish Challenge, Trenton explained to Sous Chef Jason that he was making a pan-seared trout with lemon with a green tomato jam. Then, he said he surpassed every one of his employers ever since he started as a meat cutter and said that he worked to the bone as an Executive Chef. Despite that, he said that working as Ramsay's protégé was a dream. He was the sixth person from the blue team to have his dish judged by Ramsay and went up against Brynn. He told Ramsay that he was from Arkansas, and this was the first time he was outside his hometown before presenting his pan-seared trout with brown butter hollandaise and green tomato jam. Ramsay deemed it delicious and gave him four points. The blue team lost the challenge 28-30, and they were punished by taking in deliveries for ingredients to make stock. During the punishment, he said that it sucked that they could not meet with the winners.[1]
During the Alcohol Challenge, Trenton lost because his dish was not chosen as part of the Top Three. After seeing Antonio's chewed-up ceviche, he died inside as he felt his dish should have been chosen. Back at the dorms, he got annoyed by Antonio's constant apologizes.
Trenton was on the garnish station during dinner service with Steve. After Sam and Jay fired a salmon when they started, he knew the latter should not fire entrées until it was time. After seeing Matthew use a meat thermometer to check his chicken, he could not believe the former had that. Eventually, the blue team was kicked out after nobody had an idea of timings or what was going on. The blue team lost the service, and they were asked to nominate two people for elimination.
He was not nominated for elimination.[2]
Episode 3
- Main article: Episode 2003 - Young Guns: Come Hell or High Water!
During the Whole Squid Prep Challenge, Trenton got pissed at Antonio for floundering for the men. He was seen getting two attempts accepted. The blue team lost the challenge 14-16. They were punished by taking in seafood deliveries, breaking down 50 pounds of squid and shrimp, and eating calamari sandwiches. During the punishment, he reminded Antonio that he had the only poor squid of the challenge. During lunch, he felt that everyone would puke through the gag reactions.
Trenton was on the appetizer station during dinner service with Sam. At one point, Ramsay asked him to check on Steve for timing on tableside. Later, he told Alex to cook the chicken for nine more minutes. However, the blue team was kicked out after serving raw chicken. They lost the service, and they were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, he thought Alex deserved to be nominated based on his lack of communication skills and letting a raw chicken walk. Then, he nominated Jay and Alex and backed up what Payton heard about Antonio's self-nomination.
Trenton was not nominated for elimination, but Alex blamed him for the chicken gate incident as he told him about the chicken’s cook. So, Ramsay called him down, and he joined Alex, Jay, Antonio, and Sam. He denied telling Alex about that, but he was sent back in line after Ramsay found out the truth. He survived elimination.[3]
Episode 4
- Main article: Episode 2004 - Young Guns: Young Guns Going Big
While going back to the dorms, Trenton deemed Alex’s actions unacceptable as he did nothing but help that night. Even though he knew how hard Ramsay was treating them, he refused to give up the opportunity.
During the Paris Hotel Brunch Service Challenge, Trenton was on the egg station. At one point, Ramsay caught him frying an egg on a cast iron pan as it would stick to the pan and asked the men to remind him to use a nonstick pan. He felt embarrassed by that mistake. The blue team lost the challenge, and they were punished by preparing 600 boxes worth of pastries for different Caesar’s locations. Back at the dorms, he deemed the blue kitchen the worst one he ever worked in due to everyone talking over each other for timings. Also, he reminded Antonio of how his ceviche and squid brought the men down due to his poor leadership. He was frustrated by his teammates as Antonio challenged him to step up as a leader. Then, he revealed that he came from a broken family and was always underestimated before feeling upset that people on the blue team were bringing him down. During the punishment, he got dismayed when they struggled with making the pastries.
During dinner service, Trenton was on the appetizer station with Steve. He was not seen that night. Both teams were named joint losers, and they were asked to nominate two each. During deliberation, he was skeptical by Kevin's claim as it was a close race between the latter and Alex.
Trenton was not nominated for elimination. After Alex's elimination, he said goodbye to Sam and Payton and welcomed Victoria, Emily, and Megan as new teammates. While being dismissed, he felt that having the women on the blue team would make them stronger and thought it would be an all-black jacket team.[4]
Episode 5
- Main article: Episode 2005 - Young Guns: Stirring the Pot
During the Emoji Jacket Challenge, Trenton had the fish and chips jacket. He went on autopilot in the blue kitchen and decided to add capers and mayonnaise to the tartar sauce as he deemed the recipe a guideline. He was the first person from the blue team to have his dish judged by Ramsay and went up against Kiya. He said he added mayonnaise and parsley into the tartar sauce. That shocked and angered Ramsay as the former assumed he deemed his recipe boring. Josie knew he should not have done that. After looking at Kiya’s back, he confirmed there was no mayonnaise on there. Ramsay told him he could make his own fish and chips once he had his own restaurant and Michelin stars. He dug himself deeper when he revealed the corn starch into the breading. Kiya felt he insulted Ramsay for adding the extra bits. Regardless, the dish was good, but he lost that round. The blue team lost the challenge 2-4, and they were punished by cleaning the Eiffel Tower while wearing French maid outfits. During the punishment, he sarcastically thanked the desert for the dust and felt embarrassed to be wearing the maid outfit.
During dinner service, Trenton was on the appetizer station with Emily. At one point, he felt everyone was focused as their communication was there and called it amazing. When the blue team neared the end of service, he happily said he could kiss everyone on the mouth. The blue team won the service. After elimination, he felt the blue team’s morale was different from before and wanted to keep winning so he could win.[5]
Episode 6
- Main article: Episode 2006 - Young Guns: A Ramsay Birthday in Hell!
Before the Megan 21st Planning Challenge, a picture of a sleeping Trenton was shown. He cooked one of the three entrées for the blue team. He was the fourth person from the blue team to have his dish judged and went up against Josie. He made pepper jam chicken lollipops, and they were praised for their stickiness and the rice gelling well. He scored that round. The blue team won the challenge after a tie at three. They were rewarded with a flow riding experience on the roof of Planet Hollywood and lunch proved by Café Hollywood. While he got concerned when Ramsay asked Brynn about her Punishment Pass, she did not use it. He was happy as the blue team went up to change because he finally left Hell's Kitchen for a reward. During the reward, he knew the red team was busting their ass on the punishment.
During Megan's 21st dinner service, Trenton was at the fish station with Emily. After Antonio served undercooked carbonara, he reminded the former that their dishes must be perfect that night. The blue team won the service, and he was glad they dug themselves out of the hole and finished strong.[6]
Episode 7
As most of the chefs went back to the dorms, Ramsay pulled Trenton aside for a one-on-one. Ramsay thought that night was the first time he saw the real him and saw him hitting his stride. He said he was pushing as hard as possible and told Ramsay that the hunger came from proving his doubtful family wrong. Unlike his family, he said he became a chef because he loved to cook and felt lucky to receive an Executive Chef position nine months ago as it allowed him to do his own thing. Ramsay told him he was a quick learner and adapting fast, urging him to continue it for the blue team. Meanwhile, the blue team waited for him in the hallway as Emily wanted to speak with Ramsay. When he met up with his teammates, he said he spent his life putting his head down and cooking to where he was now. He called it gratifying for Ramsay to acknowledge it because he had more to show.
Before the International Cuisine Challenge, Trenton said goodbye to Antonio as the latter moved to the red team. He picked Greek cuisine, and during part one, he looked for a lamb rack for his Greek dish. After some missed shots, he managed to get the ball into his net before seeing everyone else struggle. After seeing Michael Cimarusti come in, he called it a fantastic opportunity to have him judge his dish. After Josie admitted to not tasting her dish due to the chicken, he laughed at how Josie would not try her own food. He was the last person from the blue team to have his dish judged and went up against Keanu. He made a feta and Greek yogurt rubbed rack of lamb with charred eggplant purée, and they were praised for tasting good. He felt good as he considered Keanu’s lamb to be overcooked. However, he lost that round to Keanu and the blue team lost the challenge 2-4. They were punished by prepping the dining room for that night’s service, including ironing the tablecloths, polishing the silverware, and polishing the glasses. During the punishment, he thought the blue team would be stronger without Kevin.
During dinner service, Trenton was at the meat station with Steve. After Kevin served a raw lobster tail for the second time, he was pissed at the former for driving them straight into the ground and called him a train wreck. On entrées, he and Steve worked on the lamb and had a spare lamb prepped. Due to Kevin dragging on the salmon, he compared the former's communication to pulling teeth as the latter kept asking for one minute. The drag led to their lamb being overcooked. After Kevin's mid-service elimination, he was disappointed they did not get the satisfaction of nominating the former properly, but he agreed with Ramsay’s decision. Both teams were named joint winners. While being dismissed, he wanted to keep adapting for the blue team with Kevin gone because they were becoming stronger.[7]
Episode 8
- Main article: Episode 2008 - Young Guns: A Devilish Challenge
Before the Relay Challenge, Trenton was okay having Steve and Megan go first as he hoped everyone else could follow the menu as he did. He feared that the lamb would be left out during the second round and placed it into the oven. While Victoria pulled it out on the fourth round, he saw that the lamb was not done on the fifth round and put it back in the oven. On the final round, he called it havoc. After the blue team scored on the Beef Wellington, he felt good to score the first point and hoped the other dishes held up. The blue team lost the challenge 1-3 and were punished by participating in Recycling Day, which included sorting through the trash.
Later that day, Ramsay held one-on-one meetings. Trenton was the fourth person to have his meeting. Ramsay found it hard that he was from a small town as he cooked from a big city. Still, Ramsay wanted his character onto his dishes. After Antonio's meeting, Trenton was briefly seen attempting to lift Antonio off the ground to Emily's amusement. He did not compete in the Cook For Your Life Challenge as he was not in the bottom five.[8]
Episode 9
- Main article: Episode 2009 - Young Guns: A Game Show From Hell
Back at the dorms, Trenton and Steve were waiting intently on who was entering going through the dorms. He wanted to make sure that person had the support from their team, as making it to the Top 10 was a big deal. Victoria entered the door, and she received hugs from the blue team.
During the Spells Kitchen Challenge, Trenton went up against Sam in part one but got none of the ingredients. During the cooking, Megan borrowed some thyme from him, who made a quip about having it both metaphorically and literally. He asked if anybody was okay with a square plate for two minutes, and the team said yes. He cooked the ribeye with Megan. They were the first pair that had their dishes judged by Ramsay and went up against Antonio. He made a pan-seared ribeye and pan-roasted mushroom and pink peppercorn cream sauce. They were immediately praised for a spot-on medium-rare, and Ramsay asked him to cook him one in service. The dish was delicious, and Ramsay awarded it a point.
The blue team won the challenge 6-3, and they were rewarded with a private hot tub from Drai's Beach Club at the Cromwell Hotel. As the blue team went up to change, Trenton was ecstatic to go on the reward after doing mind-numbing punishments. Steve saw him let loose during the reward as he rarely got a chance to leave Hell's Kitchen, but the former let him have his moment. He led the toast and became the drunk uncle after drinking champagne.
During the Charity Night dinner service, Trenton was in charge of the filet mignon course. He and Josie agreed on fifteen minutes. He wanted to drive the blue team as it was his chance to showcase his leadership. He did a double-check with Josie in the red kitchen while Megan and Victoria decided to pull off undercooked filets hoping the resting time would help them. He walked his filets up to the pass, but Ramsay discovered that they were raw. He was unhappy that his team did not have his back, while Ramsay accused Megan and Victoria of sabotaging him. Still, the refire was accepted.
Both teams were named joint losers, and they were asked to nominate two each. During deliberation, Emily said she had three potential nominees, the first being Trenton due to the filet mignon course. While he admitted his course was not perfect, he singled out Victoria for her lack of vocalness. Steve agreed with him, and Victoria resigned herself to it.
He was not nominated for elimination.[9]
Episode 10
- Main article: Episode 2010 - Young Guns: More Than a Sticky Situation
During the Blind Taste Test, Trenton was the second person from the blue team to compete and went up against Kiya. He could only get pistachio, resulting in Steve getting the caramel corn and nacho punishments. During Megan's turn, he was spared from the punishments. He was happy to get out clean, and during the final round, he prompted Megan to go up again. The blue team won the challenge 9-6, and they were rewarded with a party bus drive to the Brooklyn Bowling alley. During the reward, he felt he was winning like Charlie Sheen. After hearing Brynn talk about Josie, he saw that the red team was disintegrating before him. Still, he was happy as it was a competition.
During dinner service, Trenton was at the meat station. After Steve served a dry risotto, he did not want a rocky start. Later, he chided Emily for forgetting the potato garnish. Later, he was seen getting his New York striploin accepted. When the blue team cleared down, Ramsay praised him for his spot-on performances. Both teams were named joint winners, and Megan was named the "Best of the Best" for the blue team. During deliberation, Megan told him that the only two people she was considering were Steve and Emily. He considered Steve due to his lack of voice that night but reminded Megan that it was her decision at the end of the day.
He was not nominated for elimination.[10]
Episode 11
- Main article: Episode 2011 - Young Guns: Swiping Right
During the Protein Match App Challenge, Trenton cooked the New York striploin and went up against Sam. During part one, he picked corn and tomatillos. During the cooking, the black garlic was his blind ingredient. He was the final person from the blue team to have his dish judged and presented his pan-seared New York striploin with green tomatillo salsa. However, he miscalled the steak a ribeye. Even though Richard Blais liked the char of the steak, it had inconsistent cooking due to a short resting time. He did not score that round, but the blue team won the challenge after a tie at two each.
The blue team was rewarded with a spa day at the Qua & Bath Spa on the Vegas strip and new Vitamix blenders. Trenton said he never got a facial before, and Ramsay jokingly said he would come back ten years younger. During the reward, he felt relaxed getting a facial.
During the Steak Night dinner service, Trenton was at the garnish station. He was not seen much, except getting concerned for Megan after the latter served a soupy risotto. The blue team won the service.[11]
Episode 12
- Main article: Episode 2012 - Young Guns: All Hell Breaks Loose
As the chefs returned to the dorms, Ramsay asked Trenton if he was copying him by putting a pencil behind his ear. He denied that, but Ramsay told him to keep it if it would help improve his cooking.
During the first Black Jackets Challenge, Trenton's ingredients were a rack of lamb, celery root, Swiss chard, haricots verts, and Kalamata olives. He said it was everyone for themselves now as he tossed his celery root into the pot for a puree during the cooking. He knew he was one of the strongest chefs in the competition, and he was ready to prove it to Ramsay as he had a confidence level of eleven. However, Sous Chef Jason warned him about cooking his lamb over seasoned as he could smell the burnt spice. He was the first to have his dish judged and said he put his heart and effort into it, hoping it showed. Trenton presented his pan-roasted rack of lamb with a Kalamata olive tapenade rub and a celery root puree. The presentation looked great, the puree was smooth, and Jason Shkorupa liked the taste of the lamb. He won the challenge, received the first black jacket, featured his dish on the Sunseeker Resorts' menu, and won accommodations at the hotel. He called it an amazing experience to push past his limits as Shkorupa gave him an envelope for the Resort reward. Ramsay gave him his black jacket and welcomed him to the club. Also, he had access to the Black Jackets Lounge for the rest of the day. As Sous Chef Jason led him to the lounge, the latter wanted to hang his new black jacket on his wall forever. Later, he welcomed Brynn.
After the second Black Jackets Challenge, Trenton welcomed Megan and Kiya to the lounge. He and Kiya were seen playing champagne pong. When watching the final Black Jackets Challenge, he said that none of the three thought they were fighting for one jacket.[12]
Episode 13
- Main article: Episode 2013 - Young Guns: Social Media in Hell
Before the Presentation Challenge, Trenton called Ramsay's photos work of art. He wanted to make a glazed carrot puree with pan-seared scallops during the cooking, saying that simplicity helped make dishes pop. Seven minutes left, he began plating and saw that nobody else was close to where he was. He was the fourth person to have his dish judged and thought his dish was out of the ballpark. He presented his pan-seared scallops with glazed carrot puree, chive flower, and pomegranate and dill garnishing. The presentation wowed Ludo Lefebvre as it popped in his eyes, and the balance was perfect. He scored a perfect ten, and he said that meant a lot to him. After the online voting was tallied, the followers ranked his dish first, winning the challenge with 15 points. He said it was amazing that he placed first in two challenges in a row.
Trenton was rewarded with a VIP tour of Hell's Kitchen in Caesars Palace, with Season 17 winner Michelle giving it. Also, he won a private meatball masterclass from Rao's Frankie Pellegrino JR. He was allowed to bring one person with him, but Brynn expected him to pick Megan over her. Instead, he picked Steve, which the latter said made up for him sleep farting. Afterwards, Ramsay told the two there was one more surprise for them waiting at the dorms. The surprise was brand new Oxo coffee makers, thrilling him. During the reward, he said Pellegrino was the master of hospitality.
During prep, Kiya asked Trenton to watch her corn. He said he never cooked in the red kitchen before and called it a learning curve. Kiya got pissed at him for not listening to her because Sous Chef Christina would disapprove of that. Sous Chef Christina did not like the lack of urgency of him as he knew they must work together. During dinner service, he was at the garnish station. When Brynn did not call out the order times, he wanted her to focus as there was no more room for anxiety. Kiya wanted to see him handle garnish on the following order as he had never worked there before. He said it was the final sprint but had his pan catch on fire when oil spilled. Kiya compared him to a boat sinking and a captain not realizing a hole in the hull. While Steve and Brynn walked up their dishes, he was not ready on garnish and did not answer Ramsay's callout. He admitted he had a bad day as Ramsay reminded him that garnish needed to be up before proteins. Despite being late on the mashed, he refused to be dragged down and said he strived to be better.
After service, Ramsay asked the final five to name two people for elimination. During deliberation, Trenton called it the hardest decision yet, and they must dig through everything. He boasted that he grew the most out of everyone, but Megan and Kiya retorted that they all did. When asked who the bottom two were, he singled out Brynn due to her anxiety attacks, and Megan did not think the latter was mentally ready to run a restaurant. Then, he told Steve that despite stepping up and being solid, he did not think the latter could run a restaurant due to his reserve nature. Steve argued that he was pushing it that night and only spoke up when needed. Steve was shocked that he nominated him when he was quiet on fish. At the same time, he picked on Kiya due to her lack of finesse, but that angered the latter because she learned a lot. She did not believe her poor plating skills were a big problem and felt he placed himself on a huge pedestal. Kiya nominated him for his poor performance on garnish. While he called it his worst service yet, he wanted to look on overall and did not think Kiya's plating showed progression. He asked Brynn if she saw Kiya grow on the red team, but the latter wanted to hit him in response.
Trenton was not nominated for elimination. While being dismissed, he had a feeling that the next few days would be a good one as he must keep his head on right.[13]
Episode 14
- Main article: Episode 2014 - Young Guns: Hell Hath No Fury...
While going back to the dorms, Trenton knew he made it to the final four because he pushed himself hard and proclaimed he was here until the end. He had no idea what tomorrow would be, but he cockily said he would make good food for anyone. Hearing his boasts annoyed Kiya, who felt he was not a good leader despite putting himself on a pedestal.
The following day, Sous Chef Christina called the dorms and told Trenton that Ramsay planned a beach day for the final four. She told him to wake everyone up, put on beachwear, and head outside. During the Beach Grilling Portions Challenge, he cooked barbecue rubbed salmon with chipotle crema, and he wanted to keep his winning streak strong. While serving his dish to the patrons, he said that giving samples was what he did in his restaurant and hoped the beach patrons loved his dish. He won the challenge as his dish was named the best overall by 37%. He felt amazing to knock the challenges out of the park.
Trenton was rewarded with a $3000 shopping spree at the Forum Shops in Caesars Palace and drinks at the Vanderpump Cocktail Garden. Hearing that excited him. Before Ramsay announced the reward, the former told him he could bring one person to join him. He picked Megan, surprising Ramsay as the latter thought he would have picked Kiya. However, Kiya knew Trenton would not have as she felt the latter was too cocky for his own good. When he came down to sit with Kiya and Brynn at the dorms, he said he did not think he would have won, unaware of the hate the two had towards him. When he and Megan walked by for the reward, Kiya made a snide comment and wondered if he would bring her on a reward out of guilt.
During the reward, Trenton and Megan went through the shops, and he looked for a purse for his girlfriend, which Megan called sweet. As the two had drinks at the Vanderpump Cocktail Garden, he felt he and Megan were the front runners of the competition and wanted to spend some time with her. Chef Josh provided the two with some food as he called Vanderpump incredible. Megan told him that despite not liking the previous punishment, she was not as mad as Kiya was earlier. He realized he won every black jacket challenge so far, and Megan considered themselves leaders.
Before dinner service, Ramsay did individual assertive training with the final four by having them tell him off. Trenton stammered in the middle of his lecture. During dinner service, he was at the meat station. He was the second person to run the pass and was ready to lead as he did back home. He called out the order vocally to Ramsay’s praise but was given tuna tartare instead of beef tartare. He struggled to understand the error despite tasting it even when Ramsay had to spell it out for him. He eventually got the hint, but he said he did not eat much raw fish in Missouri. Ramsay urged him to bounce back and run his kitchen. Wanting to show he could run a kitchen, he saw Megan burn her salmon, ordered a refire, and demanded timings. Still, Kiya felt he was trying too hard to be like Ramsay as he called out Megan for filling the salmon sauce too much in the boat. As he continued to push out food, Ramsay gave him venison instead of the ordered lamb. He thought they were raw to the touch, but Ramsay had him slice it and taste it. He realized it was venison and knew what deer tasted like. Even though he had a tough time, Ramsay praised his effort.
After service, Ramsay asked the final four to have an honest discussion about everything that happened. Back at the dorms, Trenton thought he led well expediting, but Brynn thought he was too aggressive for her liking. Still, he said that was what Ramsay wanted. Then, Brynn remarked that he did not own up to his mistakes, but he retorted how the former broke down under stress.
At elimination, Ramsay asked the final four to say why they deserved to be in the final three. Trenton said it was his life and passion as he wanted to be good as he could be. He was named the second finalist thanks to his hard work. He was after Megan and was followed by Kiya. While being dismissed, he said he would push hard and open his door.[14]
Episode 15/16
- Main article: Episode 2015 - Young Guns: What the Hell
- Main article: Episode 2016 - Young Guns: Two Young Guns Shoot It Out
Back at the dorms, Trenton hugged the two women as he had a feeling he would make it to the end once he got the opportunity to compete. Later that evening, the phone rang, and he picked it up. Ramsay asked him to bring everyone downstairs. Once downstairs, Ramsay reminded them about their final challenge to determine who would be in the finale. Ramsay asked them to design a menu featuring a cold appetizer, hot appetizers, and three entrées. One seafood, one red meat, and one surf n turf. To help them out, Ramsay passed out binders to get their ideas down on paper and revealed that the Sous Chefs would serve as advisors on their menus. When he heard that Michelle was called in to help, he said he liked hearing that because she went through the competition twice and the fact he met her a couple of days ago. He went to the dorms and met with Michelle, making him happy because he wanted her. While working on the menu, he wanted to make a watermelon salad at the dorms, explaining it was a childhood dish he grew up on. Michelle suggested some things he liked, and he explained his surf n turf. He wanted a coffee-rubbed steak as his boss taught him and felt it would pair well with shrimp. He felt confident in the dish and thought Michelle did as well.
The following morning, Ramsay invited the final three for one-on-one meetings at Nobu in Caesars Palace. After Trenton listed off his menu items, Ramsay felt hungry and called for service. He was blown away to see his father and girlfriend of nine years, which he called amazing. Ramsay said that he had finesse and sent them to the Cleopatra villa. Once they were at the villa, he showed his family the Eiffel Tower and revealed that he cleaned it for punishment. Also, he told them how he shook Mike Tyson’s hand. He called it incredible to see his family as he had a conversation with them. He said the beginning was tough because he had no one to talk to, but he has had an excellent support team since then.
After some time, Ramsay brought all three families together and told the final three he was taking them on a night of the town. He arranged make-up and wardrobe to get them dressed as the final three’s loved ones departed. Trenton said he never had a complete makeover, but he felt pretty thanks to them. Once the trio got dressed, they met Ramsay downstairs, waiting for them at a limo. Their first destination was a helicopter tour of Las Vegas, and Ramsay showed them the home for one of them. An excited Trenton asked what more could they see. Then, Ramsay dropped a bombshell that they were not having a night out on the town. Instead, their final challenge would occur immediately below them as a crowd, including their loved ones and the seven previous eliminated chefs were waiting for them. Once down at the stage, Ramsay reintroduced the final three the eliminated chefs and reminded them that the top two chefs would compete in the finale, and one would become the winner.
During the Final Menu Challenge, Trenton felt that he got hit in the face as the final three changed into their jackets for cooking. He got support from his father and girlfriend. He presented his compressed watermelon salad on the cold appetizer round with a pistachio crust and frisée rind salad side. It was praised for the crunch of the nuts, and Ming Tsai loved how he elevated a basic watermelon. He scored a perfect 10. On the cold appetizer round, his English pea risotto had soft prosciutto but was otherwise solid. He scored 9 points. On the seafood entrée round, he was stunned when Aarón Sanchez came in. He presented his pan-seared trout with creamed corn and grilled asparagus. Sanchez liked how the presentation was artistic, and the trout was cooked elegantly, making him wish he had a piece for everyone. He scored a perfect 10. On the red meat entrée round, his grilled hanger steak with bourbon brown sugar glaze was praise for its great flavor, and the sauce had a nice sweetness. He scored a perfect ten and thought he was nailing it. For the surf n turf round, he made a chili espresso rubbed flat iron steak with tequila and lime grilled shrimp. Aaron Franklin found it bright and acidic, and he scored 9 points. With 48 points, he automatically secured his spot in the final two. He called it amazing to move forward in front of his girlfriend and father.
During the team selection, Trenton got the first pick because he had the most points. His first pick was Kiya. While Kiya felt he was smart with his choices, she did not want to work under him. His second pick was Antonio, making the latter happy because he respected him. Then, he picked Brynn as his third and Sam as his fourth.[15]
Back at the dorms, Trenton called it a dream come true as he gave his adult life to food to be the best. Now, he was in the final two and said he would walk through his door. Sam asked him if he had full reign over them, and he said he did. He recalled that neither Kiya nor Brynn were happy with his aggressive leadership in the previous service. Still, he said it was in the past and hoped they did not have any hatred over him. As he went over the menu, he gave specific and direct instructions on cooking his dishes. Still, Kiya did not think he was a good leader as she and Brynn hated him. He continued to give out specific instructions to his dishes as Brynn felt he was intense. Sam asked when they would get to station roles, but he snapped that it would happen eventually.
During prep, Trenton was more abrasive and direct with his team. Even though Kiya acknowledged his strength, she thought he did not respect her when he pushed for the carrot puree. Three hours before service, Ramsay did a review of the finalist's menus. He wanted to express Arkansas on his menu. The watermelon salad was too small for Ramsay, and he wanted more watermelon and warned him not to puree the peas for the risotto too much. The trout dish, a big hit in the Final Tasting Challenge, was too small for Ramsay's liking. Sam overheard the criticisms and felt deflated over them as he thought they were ready. Still, Kiya knew Ramsay's input was essential to him as, despite being nitpicking, it was necessary for the final dinner service. Ramsay pushed him to elevate the dishes, and he got concerned about what needed to be done. Still, he relayed the review to his team and hoped they had a perfect menu.
Later that day, Ramsay called from the dorms and told Sous Chef Christina to immediately have the final two upstairs. When they got upstairs, they saw Ramsay with two security guards. Ramsay was furious than ever and explained that the guards beside him checked the dorms while the chefs were in the kitchen. The guards found something, and Ramsay revealed two bags that looked to be contraband drugs. Ramsay demanded who those belonged to, threatening disqualification, but neither Megan nor Trenton had an idea who it was. Ramsay threatened to shut down the restaurant as he continued to demand answers from them. Eventually, Ramsay asked the guards to open the bags, and they turned out to be their head chef jackets. He called the experience earlier to being yelled at by his dad. Before service began, he and Megan, now sporting their head chef jackets, entered Ramsay's office for one final meeting. Both were confident about tonight, and Ramsay told them that he felt like a father to them. That night was their final test, and Ramsay asked them to step up as bosses to their brigades. Ramsay took out the case containing the $250,000 cash prize to inspire them further. He called the cash prize a motivator but said it was his passion that would drive his team. As the two exited the office, they saw the guests already sitting down for dinner, including their loved ones. After Ramsay introduced the finalists to the guests, he asked them to explain their menus. He said his menu was Arkansas-inspired. Afterwards, he and Megan went into their kitchens for their final dinner service. He got his team focused and was ready to kill it.
During dinner service, Trenton called out his first order, said he channeled everything he learned and wanted to show Ramsay how to push to be better every second. However, Antonio served undercooked risotto, and he and Ramsay told him to cook it longer. Despite starting on a bad foot, he was ready to fight back as the test was to see how well he could coach a brigade. Antonio got his refire accepted, and he got appetizers out. On entrées, Kiya said she would not sabotage him despite her hatred towards him. He was confident in Kiya because the latter was consistent in the competition and wanted her to drive meat. Also, he said that Brynn's vocalness would help drive garnish and thought she and Kiya would gel well. While Kiya said she needed three minutes on chicken, Brynn ignored her as she and Antonio walked up garnish. That frustrated Kiya as she needed that time as Sous Chef Jason told him to call for meat. Sam brought up his hanger steak as Kiya snapped at Brynn and Antonio for rushing her. Kiya felt like an idiot due to Brynn and Antonio's mistake and sent up the chicken. However, it was pink, and he brought the team to show it to them. Brynn admitted that she made Kiya look like an idiot due to her communication problems, but she wanted to bounce back from that and have a smoother night. Kiya's refire was accepted, and the table enjoyed their order. Later, he called out a six-top order and wanted to finish strong. As Brynn had her garnish prepped, she saw Kiya dragging behind. Kiya was hesitant about bringing her chicken to the pass and had him feel them. They were raw, and Sam was confused about Kiya's poor performance as she was better than that. While Sam walked up his trout, Kiya brought up the chicken. However, it was raw again, and Ramsay berated them for messing up on an important night. He took the team to the pantry room while Antonio said that meat was going down in a spiral. He called it ridiculous as they have been cooking meat all season and asked Kiya why she was screwing him up. Kiya said it was not on purpose but felt that he needed to chill. Going back to the kitchen, Antonio took over meat and got his chicken accepted. As the last couple of entrées left the kitchens, he was ready to push out to the finish line. After service ended, Brynn said he was a phenomenal chef despite the animosity and hoped he won.
When both teams lined up, Ramsay said it was a rough night. After studying the comment cards, Ramsay announced that the winner would be decided immediately. Ramsay announced that the winner who would his protégé was under twenty-five, but everybody knew he was joking again. Ramsay dismissed the returning chefs and told the finalists that they rallied their teammates and kept calm. He dismissed them back to the dorms so he could take a serious look at his decision. Trenton called it the biggest night of his life back at the dorms as he learned how much of a marathon he had endured. Still, Trenton felt incredible to make it far, which Megan agreed with.
Later that night, Ramsay called the dorms and asked the finalists to come down to his office. Once there, Ramsay expressed proudness in the two of them. Ramsay said Trenton's palate and creativity helped win challenges and said he had big dreams despite coming from a small town. Then, Ramsay had the two stand in front of their doors as only one would open for them. After Ramsay counted down from three, the final two turned their handles, but his door opened. He was crowned the winner of Hell's Kitchen and won the protégé study, the Head Chef position at Gordon Ramsay Steak, and the $250,000 salary. He was speechless about winning and knew that his hard work finally paid off. When he made his victory speech, he was honored to have a great support system from his girlfriend as she pushed him to be much more than he could be. Then, he proposed to her, which she enthusiastically said yes to. After putting the ring on her finger, he said he had never been this happier before now as he won in both ways. He hung his portrait on the Wall of Fame during the celebration and said that having big dreams was worth it.
Ramsay's comment: "Trenton is everything I could want in a protégé. At a very young age, he's already proven to be creative, passionate, and a driven leader. He will be a great asset at Gordon Ramsay Steak 2.0 at Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas."[16]
Nomination History
| Week 1 | Safe |
|---|---|
| Safe | |
| Week 2 | Nominated |
| Week 3 | Safe |
| Week 4 | Win |
| Week 5 | Win |
| Week 6 | Win |
| Week 7 | Safe |
| Week 8 | Safe |
| Week 9 | Win |
| Week 10 | Win |
| Week 11 | Safe |
| Week 12 | Safe |
| Week 13 | Safe |
| Week 14 | Safe |
| Week 15 | Winner |
Season 21
Episode 6
- Main article: Episode 2106 - Til Chef Do Us Part
In the following season, Trenton and Macee returned to Hell's Kitchen to have their wedding at the restaurant. The couple helped Ramsay judge the Trenton and Macee Wedding Planning Challenge and that night, they got married and had their meal with friends and family. Despite both teams getting kicked out of service, Ramsay and the Sous Chefs were able to salvage the night and he and his new wife ended their wedding on a high note by sharing a piece of Bailey's Irish Cream cake.[17]
Post Hell's Kitchen
- After his appearance on the show, Trenton worked as Executive Chef at The Blue Duck in Maplewood, Missouri. He took up the Head Chef position at Gordon Ramsay Steak at Paris Las Vegas under contract as winner.
- He was engaged to his long-term girlfriend Macee after he proposed to her when he won the show, and later he married her in early 2022 during the filming of Season 21, which both of them were featured on the sixth episode on that season.
- In late September 2022, he was named and worked as Chef de Cuisine at The Bedford by Martha Stewart at Paris Las Vegas.
- In July 2023, he was Executive Chef at Guy Fieri's Flavortown Sports Kitchen at Horseshoe Las Vegas until he later returned as Executive Chef at The Blue Duck in Maplewood, Missouri.
- In June 2025, he and Macee appeared on Bar Rescue as customers where Jon Taffer sent Jason to Carlyle, Illinois to rescue a Cajun-themed bar called Swamp Tales, which was renamed Swamp Town during the relaunch.
Trivia
- He and Jay are the second and third contestants from the state of Missouri, following Christina (Season 4).
- He is the second contestant to win multiple individual challenges in a row, following Christina (Season 4), with the most at four.
- He is the first and only black jacket contestant to this date to win all the individual challenges in the black jacket phase.
- He is the first male winner since Scott (Season 12).
- He is the sixth winner and the second male winner to be nominated by Ramsay, following Christina (Season 4), Nona (Season 8), Ja'Nel (Season 11), Scott (Season 12), and Michelle (Season 17).
- He is the third male contestant to win in a different-gender finale, following Rock (Season 3) and Danny (Season 5).
- At age 23, he is tied with Danny (Season 5) as the youngest winner in the history of Hell's Kitchen.
- He is the sixteenth contestant, and first winner to only ever be nominated specifically by Ramsay, and never by his team, following Ralph (Season 1), Gabe (Season 2), Vinnie (Season 3), Amanda, Elizabeth (both from Season 9), Justin (Season 10), Michael (Season 11), Ralph (Season 12), Milly (Season 14), Vanessa (Season 15), Johnny (Season 16), Ashley, Van (both from Season 17), Bret (Season 18), and Fabiola (Season 19).
- He is the only member of that season's black jacket team to have never worn a red jacket at some point.
- He is the first contestant to get married in Hell's Kitchen.
Quotes
- (About Jay after serving salmon earlier) "Jay, shouldn't be cooking salmon until entrees start firing."
- (About Matthew after checking his chicken with digital thermometer) "Matthew pulls out a digital thermometer. Where the hell do we get digital thermometers?"
- (After cooked the egg on stick pan) "I never felt so embarrassed. You just gotta get these standards down."
- (After losing the brunch challenge) "These people cannot get on the right fucking level. And it just kills me."
- (About his past and some members of the blue team) "I was from a fucking broken family, and nobody was ever together. I've always been underestimated like across my entire fucking family; I want nothing more than just to prove myself, and these people just keep fucking bringing us down. And it hurts, it hurts so fucking much."
- (After winning service for the first time) "I'm so happy...I mean, I can kiss everyone in the fucking mouth right now because I'm beyond words."
- (After winning a challenge) "Hell yeah, I don't know how to dance, so. (dancing and laughing)"
- (While drinking during a reward) "Suck it, red team!"
- "I got my Charlie Sheen shirt on, so I'm going to be winning."
- (After being named winner) "I don't even know what to say. Oh, my god. I've worked, and I've worked, and I've wanted to push myself and be more and more every single day. I can't believe the door opened."
- (Proposing to his girlfriend) "Macee, will you marry me?"
- "I won, and I got a soon-to-be wife, I've never been so happy in my life. I'm more than in one way."
- "This is what working hard and having big dreams is all about. Got a fiancé coming, and I'm going to be head chef at Gordon Ramsay Steak 2.0."
Gallery
,_Trenton,_and_Sam_Nominated.png "Antonio, Alex, Jay (S20), Trenton, and Sam Nominated.png (1.82 MB)")
.png "Trenton's Confessional (Black Jacket).png (1.86 MB)")
.png "Trenton's Confessional (Head Chef Jacket).png (1.48 MB)")
.png "Kiya and Trenton's Jacket Dishes (Fish and Chips).png (769 KB)")
.png "Trenton's International Dish (Greek Cuisine).png (1.92 MB)")
.png "Trenton's Spells Kitchen Dish (Ribeye).png (1.7 MB)")
.png "Trenton's Protein Match App Dish (New York Striploin).png (1.54 MB)")
.png "Trenton's Black Jacket Dish (Round 1).png (1.67 MB)")
.png "Trenton's Final Tasting Dish (Cold Appetizer).png (1.27 MB)")
.png "Trenton's Final Tasting Dish (Hot Appetizer).png (1.74 MB)")
.png "Trenton's Final Tasting Dish (Seafood Entrée).png (1.29 MB)")
.png "Trenton's Final Tasting Dish (Red Meat Entrée).png (1.48 MB)")
.png "Trenton's Final Tasting Dish (Surf and Turf Entrée).png (1.3 MB)")
External links
Trenton Garvey on Instagram- Website
References
| Hell's Kitchen: Young Guns |
|---|
| Staff |
| Gordon Ramsay (Head Chef) • Jay Santos (Blue Team Sous Chef) • Christina Wilson (Red Team Sous Chef) • Marino Monferrato (Maître d'hôtel) |
| Contestants |
| Kevin Argueta • Josie Clemens • Payton Cooper • Sam Garman • Trenton Garvey • Brynn Gibson • Megan Gill • Steve Glenn • Ava Harren • Emily Hersh • Keanu Hogan • Matthew Francis Johnson • Alex Lenik • Antonio Ruiz • Jay Smith • Victoria Sonora • Morgana Vesey • Kiya Wilhelm |