Top Chef heads to the Carolinas as Season 23 lands on Hayu
Top Chef is back, with Season 23 set to stream on Hayu from Tuesday, March 10, the same day as the USA.
Hosted by Kristen Kish, alongside head judge Tom Colicchio and long-serving judge Gail Simmons, the latest instalment of the Emmy, James Beard and Critics Choice Award-winning series travels south to the Carolinas.
The new season is based primarily in Charlotte, North Carolina, described by the production as an emerging culinary hub, with several episodes also filmed in Greenville, South Carolina.
Produced by Magical Elves, the competition follows 15 chefs competing for the title of Top Chef. Across the season, contestants face a range of challenges designed to highlight the region’s history, cultural influences and agricultural produce.
In a first for the franchise, the cast includes life partners who co-own and operate a restaurant, as well as identical twin brothers competing against each other.
The winner will receive $250,000, provided by Graza Oil, a feature in Food & Wine magazine, an appearance at the annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, a dinner at the James Beard House in New York, and the opportunity to present at The James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards in Chicago, Illinois. More than $150,000 in additional prizes will also be awarded throughout the competition.
Meet the Season 23 cheftestants
- Sieger Bayer – Chicago, Illinois
- Jassi Bindra – Houston, Texas
- Sherry Cardoso – Brooklyn, New York
- Brittany Cochran – Charlotte, North Carolina
- Oscar Diaz – Durham, North Carolina
- Brandon Dearden – Hamilton, Montana
- Jonathan Dearden – Alexandria, Virginia
- Duyen Ha – Los Angeles, California
- Jennifer Lee Jackson – Suttons Bay, Michigan/Detroit, Michigan
- Anthony Jones – Alexandria, Virginia
- Day Anaїs Joseph – Atlanta, Georgia
- Laurence Louie – Quincy, Massachusetts
- Rhoda Magbitang – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
- Justin Tootla – Suttons Bay, Michigan/Detroit, Michigan
- Nana Araba Wilmot – Cherry Hill, New Jersey
The season opens with a Quickfire Challenge at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, featuring NASCAR drivers Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch.
Other challenges include cooking with North Carolina’s state vegetable, sweet potatoes, creating increasingly spicy dishes using some of the world’s hottest peppers, competing in a whole hog barbecue cookout and developing dishes featuring dehydrated components.
Among the guest appearances, Fortune Feimster tests contestants’ improvisation skills, while Madison LeCroy and Craig Conover challenge chefs to reinterpret southern comfort food.
Melissa Benoist appears for a celebration marking the birthday of Queen Charlotte and the 20th anniversary of Top Chef, and Liza Koshy sets a presentation-focused task.
In Greenville, Danielle Brooks joins the inaugural Top Chef Fishing Derby, while a Quickfire Challenge on the Swamp Rabbit Trail is crafted by fans via social media, with Try Guys member Keith Habersberger and Rachel Ann Cole serving as guest judges.
Before returning to Charlotte for the finale, contestants travel to Asheville to witness rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Helene, and later host a fundraiser spotlighting Appalachian ingredients.
Past winners, finalists and fan favourites also make appearances throughout the season, including Sara Bradley, Tristen Epps-Long, Joe Flamm, Stephanie Izard, Jamie Lynch, Mei Lin, Savannah Miller, Ashleigh Shanti, Michelle Wallace, and Shuai Wang.
The guest judging panel features a wide cross-section of chefs and industry figures, including Sean Brock, Emeril Lagasse, Michael Mina, Niki Nakayama, Clare Reichenbach, and many others. For the barbecue challenge, Sam Jones, Lewis Donald and the Monk family join additional pitmasters.
Executive producers are Casey Kriley, Jo Sharon, Doneen Arquines, and Tracy Tong for Magical Elves.
