Top Chef is back for Season 22 later this March, and there’s a generous prize at stake.
For the new season, host Kristen Kish, head judge Tom Colicchio, and long-standing judge Gail Simmons all back with a new crop of cheftestants, and a new location as Season 22 takes place in Canada for the first time.
Additionally, an announcement for the season confirms “the largest grand prize package in Top Chef history” is on the table.
What is the prize money for Top Chef Season 22?
According to the announcement, the winner of Top Chef Season 2 will take home “the grand prize of $250,000 provided by Saratoga® Spring Water, the official water of Top Chef; Delta SkyMiles® Diamond Medallion® Status, and a $125,000 flight credit to spend on travel with Delta Air Lines.”
Moreover, the winner will also get a feature in Food & Wine magazine plus an appearance at the annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. They will also, “for the first time ever,” headline their own “exclusive dinner” at the historic James Beard House in New York and have the opportunity to present at The James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards in Chicago.
What’s more, throughout the season, the chefs will have the chance to “win a cash prize at every Quickfire Challenge and select Elimination Challenges with more than $150,000 in total up for grabs.”
What to Expect From Season 22 of Top Chef
In addition to the prize money, Top Chef is going to look a little different for Season 22 when it comes to challenges and rules.
Though Restaurant Wars has been perhaps the most quintessential elimination challenge featured on the franchise, for Season 22, the judges are setting “guardrails on overused concepts they don’t want to see in hopes of sparking fresh and out-of-the-box ideas” for Restaurant Wars, according to the show announcement.
Though it’s currently unclear what those “guardrails” entail, Restaurant Wars remains one of the most highly-anticipated challenges of the season.
What is Restaurant Wars on Top Chef?
Halfway through the season on Top Chef, the remaining cheftestants are divided into teams to create functional restaurants. In addition to creating the restaurants’ concepts, from menu to aesthetics, the competitors must also decide who is a line cook, head chef, front-of house manager, and expeditor.
Needless to say, things get spicy.
When does Top Chef Season 22 premiere?
Season 22 premieres on March 13 at 9/8c on Bravo. The season will consist of entirely-supersized episodes, which can all be streamed the day after they air on Peacock
Meet the cheftestants competing here and find out what the new rule for Season 22 is here.