Food TV

Food Network Goes In House for Latest ‘Next Iron Chef’ Contestants

Anne Burrell will compete in the newest season.
Anne Burrell will compete in the newest season. Photo: Melissa Hom

The Food Network has announced the roster of chefs who will be competing in the newest season of Next Iron Chef. And it’s … interesting. Instead of exclusively choosing restaurant chefs from around the country (as they’ve done in seasons past), FN has gone decidedly TV-centric with this year’s contestants. Some of them are existing network talent (Robert Irvine, Anne Burrell), while others are alums from Top Chef and Top Chef Masters (Spike Mendelsohn, Marcus Samuelsson). And one — Michael Chiarello — is both! See the complete roster, and the list of judges, straight ahead.

From the press release:

Anne Burrell - Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Worst Cooks in America (Food Network)
Michael Chiarello - Bottega Restaurant (Napa Valley), Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello (Cooking Channel)
Elizabeth Faulkner - Citizen Cake, Orson (San Francisco), Iron Chef America - challenger (Food Network)
Alex Guarnaschelli - Butter, The Darby (New York), Alex’s Day Off, Chopped (Food Network)
Chuck Hughes - Garde Manger (Montreal), Chuck’s Day Off (Cooking Channel), Iron Chef America - challenger (Food Network)
Robert Irvine - Robert Irvine’s eat! (Hilton Head Island), Dinner: Impossible, Restaurant: Impossible, Worst Cooks in America (Food Network)
Beau MacMillan - Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain (Phoenix), Challenge, Iron Chef America - challenger (Food Network)
Spike Mendelsohn - Good Stuff Eatery (Washington D.C.), Kelsey & Spike Cook (Food2.com)
Marcus Samuelsson - Red Rooster Harlem (New York), 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, Chopped (Food Network)
Geoffrey Zakarian - The National, The Lambs Club (New York),  24 Hour Restaurant Battle, Chopped (Food Network)

Judges include the original ‘Next Iron Chef’ Michael Symon, esteemed food journalist Simon Majumdar and UK Iron Chef Judy Joo.

Hosted by Alton Brown, Season Four Set to Premiere Sunday, October 30th at 9pm ET/PT
Food Network Goes In House for Latest ‘Next Iron Chef’ Contestants