Celeb Chef Josh Elkin Is Reigning Champ Of New Streaming Cooking League

I’m a fan of cooking shows and a fan of sports — never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d have the privilege of writing about both in the same article.

It’s the year 2020 and my wildest dreams are upon me: there exists an interactive cooking league. Participants are talented competitors made up of Snapchat stars, Twitch streamers, restaurant owners — all of whom will be judged by a live ranking system. It’s called Foodbeast Kitchen League, and a match between two chefs is streamed at least once a month, with current competitors including the likes of FaZe Clan’s chef CHEO, Rhett & Link’s own Mythical Chef Josh Scherer, and current league leader Josh Elkin.

Full, Updated Rankings live on Foodbeast Kitchen League website

Josh Elkin got his start in the food game as one of the chefs on the YouTube show Epic Meal Time, before venturing out and becoming a Food Network personality of his own. Most recently, he’s become a breakout celebrity on Snapchat, with his daily cooking routines broadcast to over a million hungry viewers every day. Those daily cooking and creative habits seem to be paying off, because at the time of this writing, he sits at position #1 of the Foodbeast Kitchen League, with 2 wins and 1 loss under his belt in the very early days of the league.

This Thursday, February 6th, the stage is set for four chefs to go up in a double header competition. The theme is Taco Bell, so we expect an array of creativity, nostalgia, and craft versions of one of our favorite fast food brands.

The rankings are eerily close with our four contestants — so as of tomorrow afternoon, everything may change.

CookingForNoobs VS Steve Bramucci of UPROXX: 2/6/2020 at 11 AM PST

Insights: Though technically an under-card match, the energy surrounding COOKING FOR NOOBS v. Steve Bramucci is palpable. Let’s start with newcomer to the league, Steve Bramucci. The children’s book author (shout out Danger Gang!) and Editorial Director at entertainment powerhouse Uproxx, Steve seems like an unlikely opponent — until you dive into his resume. He’s a chef inspired by travel, and having long been a travel/food writer and adventurer, he’s experienced cuisine from all over the globe. He also regularly participates in an Uproxx sponsored cooking competition. Steve will likely bring a strong command of flavors, an understanding of social cues, and a potentially helpful green eye to the competition — never having competed before, in our league or anything else televised.

Christine aka CookingForNoobs, on the other hand, is intrinsically in her element. She made her bones, and career, off of her own streaming cooking channel. Before this February 6th battle, she’s competed twice in Foodbeast Kitchen League before, with a record 1-1. In her first showing, she demolished league champion Josh Elkin. Christine comes with an army of loyal followers from her Twitch channel, she’s silently confident, and approaches her cooking with a familiar, cheery disposition — something judges and the audiences can often quickly relate to. Her last Kitchen League loss came in a controversial and keystone match against fellow Twitch chef, Jae Benny, whose audience simply overpowered that of CookingForNoobs during the sabotage and voting stages — prompting a recalibration of the League’s core functionality.

These two chefs couldn’t be more different — tomorrow will be very exciting.

Josh Elkin vs. Jake McPeck of Mess Hall Canteen: 2/6/2020 at 2 PM PST

Insights: Jake McPeck is currently undefeated in Kitchen League matchups, but his overall rank sits lower than Josh Elkin’s due to the sheer amount of matches he’s competed in. Jake, the head chef and co-founder of the Messhall Canteen Truck has seemingly served more time making food for customers. Jake has proven well under pressure, competed on Food Network’s Chopped as well as Food Truck Face Off. No stranger to cameras, he’s known for using high quality ingredients well under the spotlight.

Josh Elkin has gained notoriety for his creativity and visual style. Boasting more time in studio-driven kitchens, he’s comfortable in front of the camera, confident — potentially to a fault — and will likely attract a larger audience into the chat. As a reminder, a chef’s individual fan base is allowed into the chat of the livestream competition and can initiate “sabotages” to the other chef.

With Jake’s record sitting at 2-0 and Josh’s at 2-1, the winner of the match will be lay claim to the league’s title belt — and ultimately be the leader of the Foodbeast Kitchen League.

Tune in live starting at 11am PST, on February 6th: https://twitch.tv/foodbeast