The Truth About Ava Harren From Hell's Kitchen: Young Guns Season 1

Fox's perennially popular "Hell's Kitchen" returns for its 20th season on May 31, according to Gold Derby, and it promises to be groundbreaking because it represents the first time that the show will be focusing exclusively on "young, up-and-coming chefs." For "Hell's Kitchen: Young Guns," which was filmed in Las Vegas, all 18 of the chefs competing for chef Gordon Ramsay's stamp of approval, not to mention a job as executive chef at a restaurant of Ramsay's choosing and a cash prize of $250,000, were age 24 or younger at the time the competition took place in 2019. 

Self-described "overachiever" Ava Harren, who turned 24 in 2020 according to this Instagram post from December 2020, is one of those "young guns." According to her Instagram profile, the Alaska-born "Young Guns" red-team member is the owner of Boise, Idaho-based Ava Flava's, which appears to be a food prep business focused on healthy eating. But it seems that there are a lot of interesting things to know about this young and promising culinary entrepreneur. Here's what we can tell you thus far about "Hell's Kitchen: Young Guns Season 1" contestant Ava Harren.

"I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska," writes "Hell's Kitchen: Young Guns" Season 1 contestant, Ava Harren, on her Avas Flava's website. "I was one of five kids, so naturally whenever I would cook growing up, the food would disappear so fast and I would get to play with another recipe," she continues. "I decided that regardless of income, I wanted to go to culinary school because I would feel so much more fulfilled in life making a living off something that gets me excited to do, COOK!" 

However, as passionate as Harren is about cooking, she says she is "equally passionate about fitness. For that reason, she practices "macro counting" (aka "flexible dieting," according to SCL Health), which means that she plans her health-eating around the amount of each of the three macronutrients — protein, carbohydrates, and fat — that are ideal for her personal health and fitness goals. And it appears those goals are formidable. "I have done two [National Physique Committee] bikini shows and have competed in Alaska's famed Seward Mt. Marathon for the past 7 years." In addition, she is currently training for an upcoming World Beauty Fitness and Fashion Show. With her macro-goal being "the growth of lean body mass," it's reasonable to assume that Harren will turn out to be highly disciplined. 

But will she be tough enough to deflect Gordon Ramsay's slings and arrows? Only time will tell.