FOOD IS LIFE

Celebrity Chef SHAUN O’NEALE is recognized around the world as the Season 7 Champion of MasterChef on FOX. Not only an award winning chef, Shaun’s skills as a culinary host have landed him appearances on Seasons 8, 9 and 10 of MasterChef and the MasterChef Celebrity Showdown on FOX, Best in Food on Travel Channel as well as performing cooking demos and acting as a celebrity guest judge on multiple episodes of Home & Family on Hallmark Channel. And because of his partnership with Morningstar Farms, Shaun has appeared in television commercials in which he demonstrated recipes he created for the brand.

Shaun wasn’t always a chef…for the twenty years prior to winning the title of America’s Best Home Cook, Shaun earned his living as a DJ on the Las Vegas strip. Beginning his DJ career in Tampa, FL, Shaun packed up and moved to Sin City to capitalize on his success as a DJ in 2008. His crowning moment culminating on New Year’s Eve in 2010 when Shaun became the first DJ to perform on Las Vegas Boulevard in front of over 100,000 people.  

But Shaun was not destined to be a DJ. There were different plans for Shaun O’Neale which has led him to become the next up-and-coming culinary superstar. Teaching himself how to cook by reading hundreds of cookbooks and traveling the world tasting different cuisines, Shaun has proven himself as a culinary authority in his style of modern American cuisine with international influences.

In May 2017, Shaun O’Neale’s debut cookbook My Modern American Table was released worldwide. Featuring recipes for beginners and experienced chefs alike, the cookbook features everything from making fresh pasta to recreating Shaun’s title winning venison dish. In the years since his cookbook was released, Shaun has traveled the world promoting and performing at various food festivals, expos and restaurants. In September 2017, Shaun was the opening celebrity chef at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival and has since worked with Disney on several other culinary events. In October 2017, Shaun joined the ranks of other celebrity chefs as he became a member of Macy’s Culinary Council in which he has traveled the country performing sold-out cooking demos in Macy’s stores. For the past several years, Shaun has also worked with MasterChef on several projects including headlining two week-long culinary adventures on Holland America Line, being a mentor for kids at Camp MasterChef and performing online cooking classes for Craftsy.

Not only has Shaun traveled the world performing cooking demos and hosting events, but Shaun has also made a name for himself as a celebrity consulting chef. In December 2017, Shaun traveled to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica to train and inspire chefs at five-star luxury resort, Arenas del Mar in which he created a series of tasting menus using local and sustainable ingredients. In March 2018, Shaun was hired by Snickers during the SXSW Music Festival to create a 5-course dinner menu showcasing dishes of their theme “something different on the inside”. In April 2018, Shaun entered into a nationwide partnership with Newcastle Brown Ale (a HEINEKEN USA product) which showcased lifestyle campaign advertisements in popular men’s magazines such as Esquire and GQ. Shaun also traveled the country demonstrating the recipes he created incorporating the ale…which is a first for the brand that had never previously invested interest in the growing food culture industry. In October 2019, Shaun entered into a nationwide partnership with Pit Boss Grills, the official grill of NASCAR. The initial three month partnership was extended to all of 2020 in which Shaun will exclusively represent the Pit Boss Platinum Series only available at Walmart. He will do this by creating branded social media content as well as making several national appearances to promote the products.

Because of his skills in the kitchen as well as his ability to entertain, Shaun has also been hired for numerous private and corporate dinners for companies such as Drip and CannaCon. 2018 and 2019 brought new heights for Shaun as he added Ireland, Italy, Singapore and Dubai to the list of countries he has shared his food with as he participated in some of the worlds most renown culinary events and experiences.  

When Shaun isn’t traveling the world as a culinary rock star, his hobbies and passions still revolve around food. Shaun loves to read and is an avid collector of cookbooks. He also enjoys learning about history and traveling to experience new cultures. Up next for Shaun are plans to open his first restaurant.