Kristen Kish became only the second female champion of TV’s Top Chef last year.

What viewers did not know then was that she was also the first lesbian champion of the popular cooking competition on Bravo.

Kish, 30, came out publicly over the weekend when she posted a photo of herself and girlfriend Jacqueline Westbrook on Instagram with this caption: ‘Helicopter ride over Charleston. Happy 1 year love. You’ve made me incredibly happy.’

The Instagram photo coincided with an article in The New York Times about female chefs that Kish was included in.

In the article, the former model-turned chef says she had no interest in being on television because she feared would play up her looks more than her skills.

She and Westbrook, who is the assistant to the Food & Wine editor in chief, had kept their relationship under wraps but now seem poised to instantly become one of the most high-profile couples in culinary circles.