Spring heats up with the return of the country’s highest-stakes culinary competition Top Chef Canada. The eighth season sees a stellar lineup of 12 talented culinary warriors prepared to compete in cutthroat challenges and battle for the title of Canada’s Top Chef. In addition to taking home the sought-after title, this season’s lucky winner will also receive a grand prize of $100,000 provided by Interac Corp., a 2020 Lexus RX Self-Charging Hybrid Electric SUV, and an eight-night guided tour of Italy for two courtesy of Air Transat. The competition begins April 13 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Food Network Canada.
To remain in the competition each week, the chefs must impress the esteemed Top Chef Canada judging panel comprised of chef and host Eden Grinshpan, chef and owner of The McEwan Group, head judge Mark McEwan, and resident judges: powerhouse restaurateur Janet Zuccarini, food writer and personality Mijune Pak and renowned food journalist, and critic Chris Nuttall-Smith.
Following a search from coast to coast, the 12 fierce competitors ready to fight for the title of Canada’s Top Chef are:
- Francis Blais, 27 – Montreal, Que.
- Brock Bowes, 41 – Kelowna, B.C.
- Dominique Dufour, 32 – Ottawa, Ont.
- Adrian Forte, 31 – Toronto, Ont.
- Shaun Hussey, 40 – St. John’s, N.L.
- Xin Mao, 26 – Vancouver, B.C.
- Lucy Morrow, 26 – Charlottetown, P.E.I.
- Jo Notkin, 43 – Montreal, Que.
- Stephanie Ogilvie, 36 – Halifax, N.S.
- Elycia Ross, 27 – Calgary, Alta.
- Nils Schneider, 27 – Calgary, Alta.
- Imrun Texeira, 25 – Ottawa, Ont.
During this season’s Quickfire and Elimination Challenges, celebrated culinary personalities and notable food lovers will join the Top Chef Canada judging panel as guest judges. These guest judges include: James Beard award-winning restaurateurs Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz (Boka Restaurant Group); chef and acclaimed restaurateur Daniel Boulud (Daniel, Bar Boulud, Boulud Sud, Café Boulud, Bar Pleiades, DB Bistro Moderne, Epicerie Boulud – New York City, N.Y.); James Beard award-winning chef, cookbook author and restaurant owner Joanne Chang (Flour Bakery + Café, – Boston, Mass.); celebrity chef, award-winning cookbook author and chef judge on Food Network Canada’s Wall of Chefs, Lynn Crawford (Ruby Watchco, The Hearth – Toronto, Ont.); famed butchers and entrepreneurs Jocelyn Guest and Erika Nakamura (J&E Small Goods); restaurateur and recipient of Canada’s 100 Best Outstanding Chef of the Year award for the past three years, Patrick Kriss (Alo Restaurant, Aloette Restaurant, Alo Bar – Toronto, Ont.); chef and owner of Laurie Raphaël (Quebec City, Que.) and creator of Air Transat’s gourmet menu Daniel Vezina, and head of fermentation at the two Michelin-star restaurant Noma (Copenhagen), David Zilber.
A roster of new and returning sponsors are welcomed into the Top Chef Canada competition this season. Exclusive payment provider Interac Corp. returns rewarding Canada’s next Top Chef with a $100,000 cash prize. Using Interac Debit® and Interac Flash® to purchase ingredients for challenges, the chefs will also have a chance to take home a $5,000 prize courtesy of Interac during a challenge where they must create an innovative dish to serve at a pop-up market.
Lexus joins this season, rewarding this year’s winner with a 2020 Lexus RX Self-Charging Hybrid Electric SUV valued at $72,600. Lexus is also integrated in-show, helping the judging panel arrive in style to the challenges. The chefs also take the wheel of Lexus RX vehicles throughout the season, allowing them to seamlessly transport their groceries in luxury when shopping for their ingredients used in challenges.
New this season, Tourism Prince Edward Island joins for two challenges. One Quickfire Challenge will see the chefs compete in a culinary skills test using unique ingredients from Prince Edward Island. The final two chefs must then incorporate the ingredients into a perfect bite for the chance to win a $5,000 cash prize. Later in the season, the chefs will face an Elimination Challenge where they will have to create a dish highlighting an ingredient native to the island, with the winner receiving a trip for two to P.E.I.
Crest Gum and Sensitivity Toothpaste comes on board for an integrated challenge where the chefs must re-imagine a culinary classic, deconstructing it into a dish featuring one hot and one cold element for the chance to win $3,000. Mill Street Brewery returns as the exclusive beer provider for Top Chef Canada, stocking the pantry with their premium quality beer for the chefs to use in their cooking and to enjoy all season long.Kid Food Nation returns for a Quickfire Challenge that will see the chefs paired with “sous-chefs” from the Boys and Girls Club of Canada and tasked with taking vegetables that kids might not like and turning them into a dessert the judges will love. The winner will have a $5,000 donation made out in their name, which will be used to teach kids how to cook healthy meals through Kid Food Nation programs at Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada.
Visit foodnetwork.ca for an inside scoop on the upcoming season including full cast bios, competitor predictions, videos, image galleries and more. Check back week-to-week for recaps of each episode’s best moments, a closer look at the winning dish of the week, tips from the guest judges and more.
