Next Level Chef has become one of the most high-octane cookery shows in the US and now a British version is here to follow in its footsteps.
The show sees contestants compete on different floors of a three-storey kitchen as they try to impress judges Gordon Ramsay, Paul Ainsworth and Nyesha Arrington.
So following in the footsteps of US show Next Level Chef, here’s everything you need to know about Next Level Chef UK….
Next Level Chef UK — when is the start date?
The eight-part series starts in the UK on ITV1 on Wednesday, January 11 at 9 pm.
The show will then air in the same slot each Wednesday evening and will also be available to stream on ITVX.
Next Level Chef UK — who are the judges?
Award-winning chef Gordon Ramsay, who also hosts the US version and is best known for his uncompromising style in Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares, will oversee proceedings and judge the contestants’ offerings.
He will be joined by acclaimed chef Nyesha Arrington, who judges the American series and has been featured on The Taste and Chopped Next Gen.
Completing the trio is Ramsay’s former protégé Paul Ainsworth, who now runs his own Michelin-starred restaurant in Cornwall and has appeared on the likes of Saturday Kitchen and The Great British Menu.
“Nyesha is incredibly talented, steely, feisty, warm, comforting and just direct — everything you'd want in an amazing chef, an absolute talent. And then Paul Ainsworth has a huge heart. This guy's determination is incredible. I knew having him alongside Nyesha and I would just work,” says Ramsay.
Next Level Chef UK — how does it work?
The competition sees 12 contestants enter a giant kitchen on three storeys — a basement with basic equipment, a middle floor containing standard appliances and a top level with high-end utensils.
After the chefs are divided into three teams, each working on a different floor, a platform descends through the levels, from which they have 30 seconds to grab ingredients, before making a dish in 45 minutes.
“At the beginning of my career, I started in the basement. Then you work up to this semi-decent kitchen, and then 20 years later, you build this state-of-the-art kitchen, and that’s how the idea for this was born,” reveals Ramsay.
“They're cooking what they're grabbing and by the time we get to the basement, there are minimal ingredients, but that's where you find out the most about yourself. This is about bringing the best out of individuals.”
The chefs then face a race against time to make sure their dishes get served to the judges.
“It’s so tough. You’ve got to get your finished dish back onto the moving platform before time runs out,” says Ainsworth. “It’s a challenge, but it’s amazing what they produce.”
Next Level Chef UK — is there a trailer?
Yes, and if the trailer is anything to go by, this show is going to have us on the edge of our seats!
As the contestants cook up a storm, each hoping to find themselves in the fancy kitchen on the top level, no one wants to get sent to the basement kitchen... or find themselves on the wrong side of Gordon Ramsay for that matter!
You can watch the ITV trailer here...
Next Level Chef UK — who are the contestants?
The contestants range from professional chefs, to social media stars and even home cooks.
“One guy travels the world cooking on a mega yacht but you also have home cooks who just bring joy in their cooking," says Arrington.
“The levels of the kitchens level the playing field for the chefs. Pros probably think they'll kill it but they might be put in the basement and have to use their ingenuity, while home chefs suddenly have all these tools at their disposal, so they can up their game.”
The chefs are:
Callum, 26
Prestwick, Scotland
Ex-chef and Paralympian
Gold, 50
Kings Langley, Hertfordshire
Home Cook
Gurpreet, 25
Gravesend, Kent
Restaurant Demi chef de Partie
Jade, 34
Near Ormskirk, Lancashire
Social media cook
Kelly, 45
Dunmow, Essex
Home Cook and ex-pro
Layla, 41
London
Events Caterer
Ronan, 25
London
Home Cook
Selwyn, 63
Lympsham, Somerset
Private Chef
Temi, 27
London
Social media chef
Tia, 50
Birmingham
Home Cook
Toby, 22
Liverpool
Restaurant Sous Chef
Tony, 40
Theddingworth, Leicestershire
Superyacht chef
