How Chef Jordan Savell Survived 'Hell's Kitchen'

As a contestant on the new season of “Hell’s Kitchen,” and with her own food truck on the way, Fort Worth-based chef Jordan Savell is destined to have one helluva 2021.

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You could say local chef Jordan Savell has been to hell and back. 

The Fort Worth-based chef is a contestant on the new season of Gordon Ramsay’s popular chef-vs.-chef TV show, “Hell’s Kitchen.” Filmed in Las Vegas before the pandemic hit, the show — now in its 19th season — premieres on Fox on Jan. 7. 

Around the same time, Savell will roll out her own food truck, called Bullfish Foods, which will serve classic sandwiches with chef-inspired twists. The 31-year-old chef chatted with us about her upcoming year.  

FW: So, first things first — did Gordon cuss you out?

JS: Yes, absolutely. No one makes it off that show unscathed. But it’s only because he’s so passionate about what he does. He wants excellence all the time.   

FW: Up to this point, you’ve flown under our radars. Tell us a little bit about your background.

JS: I was born in Dallas and went to Seguin High in Arlington. Right now, I live in the Fort Worth/North Richland Hills area. I was a sous-chef at The Oceanaire and executive sous chef at Chamberlain’s Steak and Chop House in Dallas, where I cooked for a lot of celebrities and politicians. But most of my culinary career has been spent in Fort Worth. I was the sous-chef at Eddie V’s for a while, and most recently, I was the GM at Landmark Bar and Kitchen. That’s what I was doing when I filmed the show.  

FW: What’d you do before you became a chef?

JS: I wanted to become a chef right out of high school, but my parents were like, “No way in hell,” and they told me to find something else. So, I went to fire school and was an EMT for several years and worked for MedStar. Then I decided I wanted to be a chef again and went to work at Blue Sushi in Fort Worth as a line cook. My parents started taking me seriously when I gained the sous-chef title at Eddie V’s. Ever since then, they’ve been super-supportive.  

FW: How’d you find out you’d been picked for “Hell’s Kitchen”? 

JS: A lot of it is a waiting game. I filled out a lengthy app and did a lot of Skype interviews. Then I got a phone call saying I needed to go LA and do some on-camera interviews. And then two months later, you get the call that you’re leaving at 6:30 a.m. the next day. You have to be ready for it, or they’re moving on.  

FW: And then it’s nonstop, right?

JS: Monday through Saturday, sunup to sundown, for 25 days, it was nonstop filming. There were definitely points where you feel like a caged animal. But the toughest part for me was wrapping my brain around the fact that I was wandering through the kitchen with Gordon Ramsay. He’s a deity in our world. It’s hard to focus when one of the best chefs ever is in the kitchen with you.  

FW: The show was filmed almost two years ago. How has your life changed since then?

JS: I was 29 when the show filmed; I’m 31 now. I’ve been married to my wife for almost six years now. Something that’s talked about on the show is how I got sober in November 2018. I struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. It was definitely hard work, but I got through it.    

FW: You’re about to roll out your own food truck.

JS: It’ll be called Bullfish Foods. We’re doing classic sandwiches, done right: pastrami on rye, a grilled cheese, a French dip, a Reuben and a Cuban, all super authentic and made with my own spices and sauces. We’ll be set up in The Yard in the West Seventh area.  

FW: Did Gordon offer you, personally, any words of wisdom?

JS: There are times when he spoke to each of us, and after those conversations, we knew exactly how he felt about our talent and ability. He’s very supportive. He wanted all of us to succeed.  

Follow Jordan Savell on Instagram at @chefjsavell. The season premiere of “Hell’s Kitchen” is Jan. 7 on Fox.

A previous version of this story incorrectly spelled the name of Chef Gordon Ramsay. We regret the error.