TORONTO — Food Network Canada’s Top Chef Canada is returning next month for its 10th season. The new season, dubbed Top Chef Canada X, will make its debut on September 26 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
The show is welcoming acclaimed chef, fermenter and co-author of The Noma Guide to Fermentation, David Zilber, to the judging panel. Joining Zilber is the returning cast: chef and cookbook author Eden Grinshpan as host, along with judges Mark McEwan, chef and owner of The McEwan Group; restaurateur Janet Zuccarini; food writer and personality Mijune Pak; and renowned food journalist and critic Chris Nuttall-Smith.
Top Chef Canada X will feature chefs from across the country, including the first-ever competitor hailing from the Yukon. In addition to the title of Canada’s Top Chef, the winner will earn the largest reward in the show’s history: a cash prize of $100,000 provided by Royale Tiger Towel, a Lexus NX, a brand-new kitchen outfitted by KitchenAid, an exclusive farm-to-table adventure courtesy of Glad and a $10,000 cash prize from DoorDash. Additional sponsors include Glad, Becel, Violife, Avocados From Mexico, Campo Viejo and Montellier.
The professional chefs competing for the title include:
- Martine Bauer, 36, Toronto (Pompette)
- Tawnya Brant, 39, Ohsweken, Ont. (Yawékon)
- Kimberly Conway, 29, Charlottetown, P.E.I. (Brickhouse Kitchen & Bar)
- Joachim ‘Jo’ Hayward, 32, Toronto (Wynona)
- Chris Irving, 50, Whitehorse, Yukon (private chef and consultant)
- Camilo Lapointe-Nascimento, 25, Montreal (Menu Extra)
- Deseree Lo, 45, Vancouver (Marine Drive Golf Club)
- Vaishnav Mayekar, 30, Vancouver (Pepinos & Caffe La Tana)
- Lindsay Porter, 36, Edmonton (The Common)
- Trevane Sanderson, 27, Toronto (Vela)
- Monika Wahba, 32, Toronto (Maha’s Restaurant)
Additionally, culinary personalities and icons joining the Top Chef Canada judging panel as guest judges and tasters include:
- Dale McKay, season one winnner, Saskatoon, Sask. (Ayden Kitchen & Bar)
- Andrea Nicholson, season one and five competitor, Whitby, Ont. (Butchie’s)
- Adrian Forte, season eight competitor and cookbook author
- Danny Smiles, season three finalist, Hudson, Que. (Auberge Willow Inn)
- The Beaches, Juno award-winning musicians
- Gail Simmons, judge, Top Chef
- George Mendes, New York City (Veranda)
- Marcus Samuelsson, Harlem, N.Y. (Red Rooster)
- Dwayne De Rosario, author and Canadian soccer legend
- Alvin Leung, Hong Kong (Bo Innovation)
- Amanda Cohen, New York City (Dirt Candy)
- Cheryl Hickey, host of ET Canada
- Ricardo Larrivée, judge, Wall of Bakers, Quebec (Café RICARDO)
- Dylan Benoit, host of Fire Masters, Cayman Islands (Carnivore)
- Daniel Boulud, New York City (DANIEL)
- Kerryann Burnett, Cayman Islands (The Lobster Pot)
