Hell’s Kitchen: Head Chefs Only Season 23 winner and Cape May County Technical High School, better known simply as Cape Tech, alum Kyle Timpson recently returned to his alma mater to share his passion for cooking with the culinary arts students.
Timpson, of Dennis Twp., led the students in culinary activities and a Hell’s Kitchen-themed cook-off event. He spoke with the sophomore class about his culinary journey as they gathered ingredients for the cook-off. Then he divided the juniors into two teams, one led by Timpson and the other by Cape Tech’s Culinary Arts Instructor Chef, Stephen Serano. The teams wrote menus and prepped food for the cooking challenge.
The senior class then completed the challenge by cooking and plating the dishes on the menu, which included a French onion or Southwestern soup, a steak appetizer and a chicken entree. Some sophomore and junior students returned to assist the teams during the event. The dishes were then judged by Cape Tech staff and the results ended in a jokingly unofficial tie.
While spending time with the students, Timpson shared advice to help them succeed in the field. He stressed the importance of being true to oneself and of remaining dedicated to the passion that sparked the desire to enter this industry in the first place.
“Work hard – and not just in school. If you find something you are passionate about, put the time into it,” said Timpson. “I worked in a different kitchen every summer because I wanted to learn as much as I could from as many people as possible – steaks, seafood, burgers, Italian, Thai, pastry. Dedicate time to what you actually love.”
A 2013 shared-time graduate of Cape Tech and Middle Township High School, Timpson furthered his culinary arts education at Atlantic Cape Community College. Timpson participated in numerous cooking competitions while in high school and college before being named the winner of Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen: Head Chefs Only during season 23 of the show, which ended in February of 2025. Serano was Timpson’s instructor at Atlantic Cape Community College and was thrilled to work with him in a kitchen again.
“It was a lot of fun to have Kyle spend the day with us and share his passion for cooking and experiences with the culinary students,” said Serano. “He inspired and encouraged the students to follow their dreams and taught them significant career and life skills.”
After winning Hell’s Kitchen, Timpson was named the executive chef for Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen restaurant in Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT. Foxwoods Resort Casino is the largest resort casino in North America. He also won $250,000.
“We are so grateful Kyle came back to Cape Tech to visit the culinary students,” said Jaime Moscony, Superintendent. “His engaging personality, exceptional culinary skills and expert advice gave the students a meaningful and valuable experience.”
For more information on Cape Tech or the Culinary Arts Program, go to capemaytech.com/.
