Chef Raneisha Conerly gained her love for cooking while being nurtured and mentored by her grandmother in the kitchen.
“My passion for cooking began at an early age,” said Conerly. “My grandmother was a chef & caterer with two restaurants.”
The show which is famously named after one of Ramsay’s premier restaurants “Hell’s Kitchen,” tests the skills and resiliency of chef’s abilities to cook under pressure and deliver with excellence during the cut-throat competition.
According to the show’s website, “Only those who possess the right combination of ingredients will continue in the competition, until one is named winner. At stake is a life-changing grand prize, including a head chef position at Gordon Ramsay Steak at Paris Las Vegas and the title of “Hell’s Kitchen” winner.”
The Foxworth, Miss. native is one of 18 contestants competing on this season of the show.
Conerly thought she was experiencing a bogus call when she was offered her spot on the cooking challenge show.
“My reaction when I received the call was pure shock’ I thought it was a spam call,” she said. “Once I spoke with FOX, I knew it was real!”
She fondly recalls her memories of attending Alcorn State and the numerous activities she participated in as a student.
“My Alcorn experience was indescribable,” said Conerly! “I was a member of the Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite (Trumpet), NAACP, BETA BETA BETA, PHA, and other extracurricular organizations.”
While at Alcorn, she was a biology major.
Her passion led her to open several restaurants with partners.
The chef’s most notable and memorable kitchen experience was at White Pillars in Biloxi, Miss., as the first head pastry chef.
“My line cook experience prepared me for ‘Hell’s Kitchen,’” she said. “If you can work on the line in a restaurant in a casino like the IP in Biloxi, you can work anywhere.”
