The story behind every success has its own unique touch. André Fowles’ stellar performance on the highly acclaimed Food Network TV ‘s Chopped Champions is a success story. But the road to glory was not an easy route, and Fowles credits his success to his family.

Andre’s wife Schnell, who considers herself his “biggest critic”, says her husband was never sure he would make it to the big screen. “We are just ordinary people trying to make it, and when the opportunity came for André to audition for

Chopped, I was very happy and was the first to tell him to go for it!” she said. Schnell says André’s entry into the competition was ordained by fate, as it was a tradition for the family to sit and watch that TV programme every season. The couple, who have been married for four years, met while students at the Donald Quarrie High School. Schnell recalled the early signs of André’s culinary skills — indeed their relationship was built on her numerous requests for him to prepare dishes that she liked.

Throughout André’s performance on the show, he mentions the close bond between himself and his grandmother, Veronica Davis, who shared with Thursday Life how proud she felt watching her grandson for the first time on international television. “André has been in the kitchen watching my every move since he was four years old, and to see him on the big screen is a great feeling”, she said. Davis says her grandson is an inspiration, and “many will now see him as a role model”.

With his mother migrating to the United Kingdom to seek a better life for her family, this created a 15-year void between André and her. But his father, Joseph Fowles, was very supportive of his son’s journey to becoming a sous-chef turned chef de cuisine. Joseph says being from an inner-city community in Central Kingston, it was important to guide his son on an uplifting path. “The journey to success is not a short cut, and I told André that he must work hard to achieve his goals”, he said. The proud father also expressed how overwhelmed he was by his son’s international success. “The first time I saw André on Chopped I cried, and you’d better believe that I cried the second time as well”, he admitted. Joseph shared that his son was also teased for choosing a career that many boys shied away from — a career which he says is now shining the spotlight on Jamaica’s culinary prowess.

From honing his culinary skills in his grandmother’s kitchen, to seasoning his determination at HEART Runaway Bay and The Culinary Institute of America, André gained invaluable experience under the tutelage of Round Hill Hotel & Villas multi-award-winning executive chef Martin Maginley, before moving to the New York-based Miss Lily’s Restaurant.

André Fowles is the first Jamaican-born and the youngest chef, at 27, to compete in the tournament. He finished as the runner-up in Tuesday evening’s fifth season finale of The Food Network‘s Chopped Champions Tournament, which showcased former winners of the Chopped seasons competing for the ultimate title and US$50,000.