Netflix is dishing out a brand-new cooking series with ‘Next Gen Chef’
Netflix has a wide range of audiences who expect the platform to launch food-related content every now and then. And the platform is no stranger to feeding our obsession with food shows.
From Chef’s Table to Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend, Netflix knows how to plate up binge-worthy kitchen drama. But this September, it is raising the stakes with a brand-new reality competition that is set to put the spotlight on the future of fine dining. Welcome, Next Gen Chef.
If you are thinking this is just another cook-off, then you are wrong. It is a full-blown showcase of young talent and, more importantly, is filmed inside the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. For those who don’t know, it is the kind of place most chefs only dream of setting foot in. Add a prize pot of half a million dollars and a lineup of world-class judges, and you have the perfect recipe for the makings of one of Netflix’s most ambitious food shows yet.
So what exactly is on the menu? Here’s everything you need to know before the series arrives.
What will happen?
The first season of Next Gen Chef will introduce 21 young chefs, all under the age of 30, who will compete for a career-changing, hefty prize of $500,000. Each episode will serve up challenges designed to test creativity, stamina, and technical skill within the high-pressure jungle gym of the Culinary Institute’s professional kitchens.
The contestants will face weekly tests that push them beyond comfort zones. They will be asked to reinvent classic dishes and pull off fine-dining plates against the clock. Along the way, you will see culinary icons appearing as guest judges, which will not only throw a long into the fire but will also make every challenge a test in front of some of the world’s toughest palates.
Who is hosting?
Olivia Culpo is stepping in as the host of the show, partnered with two permanent judges: Master sommelier and oddly CIA graduate Carlton McCoy, and a familiar face in Kelsey Barnard Clark, a James Beard-nominated chef and Top Chef winner.
The 21 contestants come from diverse backgrounds, some already cooking in Michelin-star restaurants, and others carving out reputations through pop-ups or private kitchens. Everyone’s out to prove their place, so what’s expected is fierce competition, ambition, and the occasional kitchen meltdown.
Adding extra spice will be the welcome roster of guest judges, including Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, Christina Tosi, Kwame Onwuachi, and more.
Is there a trailer available?
Yes, Netflix released the first trailer on September 2nd, and it looks appetising and full of vying spirit. It teases tense challenges, high-energy showdowns, and the kind of plate-dropping you would expect from future Michelin contenders, with judges keeping a close watch.
Is there a release date on Netflix?
Mark your calendars, as the Next Gen Chef will premiere on September 17th, streaming worldwide on Netflix. The debut season will run for eight episodes, and each will drop weekly to keep viewers hooked.