Where is Chris Kanik now? 'Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars' Season 1 winner has taken his company to greater heights
UNITED KINGDOM: 'Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars' Season 2 is quickly approaching your TV screens! This time around, Gordon Ramsay will be joined by the renowned hospitality expert and TV personality Lisa Vanderpump.
Together, they will handpick aspiring entrepreneurs from the food and beverage industry to join their teams and engage in a series of demanding challenges, designed to assess their business savvy.
The ultimate goal is to determine which mentor, Ramsay or Vanderpump, can guide their team to victory and assist their hopefuls in attaining success in the culinary world. The winner will walk away with a generous cash prize of $250k.
On the flip side, when discussing the winner of 'Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars' Season 1, it was none other than Chris Kanik, the ingenious mind behind Smart Cups.
Kanik's exceptional leadership and innovative techniques have positioned him as a trailblazer in the field of sustainability technology, a testament to his unwavering dedication, creativity, and broad range of experiences.
Following his $250k win, Kanik left the scene with renewed determination to advance his sustainability-focused company, Smart Cups, to even greater levels of success. Over the past few years, he has effectively steered Smart Cups towards new heights of achievement.
Following his big win on the show, Kanik shared,“[Competing in ‘Food Stars’] was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life — I’ve got a business, staff, a family. But my eye was on the prize.”
When did ‘Food Stars’ winner Chris Kanik found Smart Cups?
In 2017, Chris Kanik established Kanik, a company that is revolutionizing the way consumable products are made. Smart Cups, a division of Kanik, utilizes an innovative method of printing water-based products directly onto surfaces as a means of promoting sustainability and minimizing waste. This groundbreaking technique, known as active ingredient printing, is at the core of Smart Cups' mission to drive positive change in the industry.
Talking about how the idea of Smart Cups was born, Kanik told 3Dnatives, "The genesis for Smart Cups came while I was at a busy Taco Tuesday a few years ago. I had a glass of water at my table and was waiting for my waitress to bring the margarita I had ordered, which was taking longer than usual due to the volume of business at the moment."
"I looked at my glass of water and wondered why no one has created an instant margarita. That’s when the idea hit me. I took a pen and napkin and wrote out a protocol. The next day I took a bottle of Everclear and maltodextrin and went to work in my kitchen," the CEO of Smart Cups added.
The company introduced a line of energy drinks packaged in cups with plant-based shells encapsulating the ingredients. By adding water, the shell activates and stirs, turning the cup into a ready-to-drink beverage. The cups are made of eco-friendly bioplastic.
Smart Cups founder Chris Kanik wishes to expand its technology to other products
Kanik, the founder of Smart Cups, plans to extend its advanced technology to various products such as water purification, personal care items, and medications. Smart Cups has forged partnerships with notable companies such as Mike Tyson's cannabis business, The Ranch Companies, and Compana Pet Brands.
“I feel like I have a responsibility to make a positive impact on the planet. The ability to provide micronutrients and water purification systems, in a sustainable and efficient manner, is the way that I can help the world," Kanik told the media outlet.
A recent research study carried out by the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA discovered that the utilization of Smart Cups in conjunction with tap water resulted in a notable decrease in production energy usage ranging from 23 percent to 48 percent.
As a result, there was a significant reduction in global warming potential, ranging from 40 percent to 57 percent, assessing the impact of production activities on atmospheric warming. It is important to note that while Smart Cups provided financial support for the study, they were not directly involved in the research process.
Is ‘Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars’ Season 1 winner Chris Kanik married?
The answer to the above question is a big yes. Chris Kanik is in a joyful and committed marriage with his wife, with whom he has three children - two boys and a girl. He frequently updates his social media with heartwarming pictures of his family, showcasing the love and bond they share.
'Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars' Season 2 drops on May 22, 2024, at 9 pm ET only on Fox.