Alabama’s newest culinary star is ready to enjoy the opportunities created by his new-found fame – now that he’s finished sixth grade.

“We’ve done a lot of interviews but we haven’t really gone a lot of places. We’re trying to go with the flow,” Bryson McGlynn told Alabama News Center in an interview May 24, along with his dad, Mike McGlynn. “I just finished up my school year yesterday, so it’s going to be nice to be able to focus on this.”

“This” is all of the attention and opportunities created by his victory in the Master Chef Junior season nine finale. Though he won in December, Bryson and his family had to keep it a secret until it aired on Fox May 20. Not only did he claim the title and the trophy, but he also won $100,000 and a set of new appliances.

Mike said the whole town of Opelika has been celebrating with Bryson, and his son has done multiple interviews since winning.

As the whole world learned he won, Bryson and his family and friends – including some from the show – were celebrating at a watch party at Bow & Arrow restaurant in Auburn.

The restaurant is owned by James Beard Award-nominated chef David Bancroft.

“We know chef Bancroft really well,” Bryson said. “I call him my uncle because I feel like that’s what he is. He’s helped me out a lot through my culinary journey.”

But Bryson’s biggest mentor is his dad.

“The competitive side of my cooking, how to cook those steaks to perfection, almost all of the different meats and different styles of cooking the meats,” are among the things Bryson said he learned from Mike.

He also earned his nickname “Cheese Curd,” from his dad … sort of.

“So, my dad used to live in Wisconsin and moved down to Alabama and he got the nickname ‘Cheese,’” Bryson explained. “I’m his son, so I got the nickname ‘Cheese Curd.’”

“Cookin’ with Cheese Curd” is the name Bryson uses for his social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

“I really want to build my social media up a lot,” Bryson said. “I want to do different cooks. I’ve got a whole bunch of cookbooks and I’ve been watching a lot of videos just to see what I can do to change it into my style and post it on my social media doing a video.”

Bryson McGlynn from Opelika is the new Master Chef Junior winner. (Greg Gayne/ Fox Media LLC)

Don’t expect to just see him next to a grill or smoker, though that is his specialty.

“I like all of the ways of cooking,” Bryson said. “I like grilling. I do a lot of smoking. And then, of course, the culinary arts. I feel like I do a lot of those.”

Now that the initial celebration of his win is done and school is out, Bryson has time to focus on building off the win and building his brand.

On June 1, he will be making an appearance at the Atlanta Grill Company Fire Show in Roswell, Georgia. Fox will have some other appearances for him and he’s seeking out other opportunities.

“I want to do a lot more cooking competitively. Since the show’s been going on, I haven’t done a lot,” he said. “I want to get back out to doing that and maybe sometimes help some kids out – like, ‘Hey, do you need any help? Do you need any tips?’ Just to see what I can do.”

Though he’s not even in high school yet, 12-year-old Bryson said cooking is the career path he wants to pursue.

“I want to do the culinary arts for a career and then, hopefully, it will take me a lot of places,” he said.

His plans for his $100,000 prize?

“I’m hoping I can save a lot of it and maybe invest in a food truck later,” Bryson said. He also hopes to use some of the money towards culinary school and/or college.

Though he’s done competitive cooking before – primarily in barbecue competitions – Bryson said Master Chef Junior was a different experience.

“Master Chef Junior, I felt like, was a different competition because you have the top 12 best home cooks in America and the same thing for the judges – you have the best chefs in the world.”

Bryson McGlynn interacts with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay while cooking during the Master Chef Junior finale. (Greg Gayne / Fox Media LLC)

That includes the lead chef Gordon Ramsay, a chef who is intimidating to chefs and cooks of any age or experience level.

“He’s not rude, he’s just passionate about what he does,” Bryson said of the celebrity chef.

His family and friends thought it was “really cool” to have a celebrity in their midst as Bryson became one of the most popular and highest-profile contestants on the show.

There were setbacks, a memorable burn and many more impressive cooks before Bryson was one of three junior chefs left to compete in the finale.

For the finale, Bryson put together a three-course meal.

“I really wanted to take my Southern roots and then mix it in with my barbecue and grill competition (experience) to make my menu,” he said.

He started with marinated red prawns with Creole hush puppies, rum marinade sauce and tomato relish as his appetizer.

Not only did he get Ramsay to say the words “hush puppy” on national television, but he got him to love eating one.

“Congrats on making an ugly hush puppy look beautiful,” Ramsay said before tasting the appetizer.

After tasting it, he complimented Bryson’s cooking and seasoning.

“You’ve made hush puppies elegant, young man,” Ramsay said. “Really well done.”

“I felt like I took a huge risk because either they would be perfect, under or over and the judges wouldn’t like it if they were any of the others, but it was perfect,” Bryson said.

Bryson McGlynn cooks in the finale of Master Chef Junior. (Greg Gayne / Fox Media LLC)

For his entrée, Bryson went with Wagyu beef.

“I’ve cooked Wagyu a lot and I know the different types of Wagyu to where I knew which one would taste the best for the judges’ palates,” he said. “I always say ‘Wagyu melts in your mouth.’”

The judges agreed and praised his grilling skills, which were on display all season.

Where Bryson said he made the most growth throughout his time on the show was in making desserts. When asked what challenge was his favorite, Bryson chose the one that caused him to grow.

“It has to be the dessert because I got to expand my palate even more from what it was,” he said. “I did not make a lot of desserts before going onto Master Chef Junior because, of course, I’m the ‘meat guy.’”

In choosing what kind of dessert he would make for the finale, Bryson turned to a former barbecue restaurant for inspiration.

“Here in the Auburn/Opelika area was a restaurant called Price’s Barbecue, which had their Most Famous Peanut Butter Pie,” he said. “I wanted to elevate that and add a little bit of like a chocolate ganache and, of course, stick with the peanut butter because, I mean, those things are the best things together.”

The peanut butter mousse crunch cake with chocolate ganache and peanut brittle. It was topped with gold leaf for the wow factor, as if it needed it.

Chef and judge Daphne Oz was blown away by the finesse of the dessert. Ramsay called it “delicious.”

Though the show was a grind, there was some down time while filming in Los Angeles.

Bryson visited The Grove, the Santa Monica Pier and Griffith Observatory among other spots.

The prize money, trophy and appliances weren’t the only reward Bryson said he got from the experience.

“I made a lot of friends – I call it lifetime friends,” he said. “I always say cooking brings people together and that’s exactly what it did. We still stay in touch to this day. We still have so much fun talking to each other, catching up with each other. It’s really cool.”

Bryson said he has heard from other food competition show winners and has even struck up an online friendship with Asher HaVon, the Selma native who won The Voice the night after Bryson’s Master Chef Junior finale aired.

Every summer, Mike said he and Bryson take a trip together somewhere in the country to do competitive cooking. This summer, the father-son trip will be different and inspired by a friendship formed on the show.

Bryson revealed on Facebook they will be traveling to Yakima, Washington, to visit Asher Niles, the 9-year-old competitor on Master Chef Junior with Bryson. Niles came to Alabama to watch the first part of the finale with Bryson and his family.

Bryson ended the interview congratulating his fellow finalists and offering words of encouragement.

“I have three things: 1) congrats to Remy and Michael; 2) always follow your dreams; and 3) have fun with what you’re doing.”

Bryson McGlynn, center, with fellow Master Chef Junior finalists Michael Seegobin, left, and Remy Powell. (Greg Gayne / Fox Media LLC)