“Top Chef” Heads to Canada to Compete for the Largest Prize in the Show’s History — Watch the Trailer and Meet the Chefs (Exclusive)

Season 22 of Top Chef is going up north!

The long-running Bravo show is taking its “cheftestants” to Canada in the latest season, which airs March 13. PEOPLE, EW and Food & Wine have a joint exclusive look at the trailer for season 22 and peek into the 15 chefs competing.

Host Kristen Kish returns alongside longtime judges Gail Simmons and Tom Colicchio to challenge the contestants, who range from James Beard Award finalists to chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants.

The trailer shows viewers just how Canadian the season will be, opening with the cheftestants getting drenched at Niagara Falls.

“Yeah, this is beautiful!” one chef shouts lightheartedly as they all brace the downpour. “So how are you guys enjoying your time on Top Chef?”

The chefs will explore Toronto, Calgary, Montreal and Prince Edward Island during the season, which will be airing in "supersized" episodes that about 75 minutes long (rather than the traditional 60 minutes).

In the kitchen, the chefs are seen pouring liquid nitrogen, tying dumplings and setting food aflame. Of course, there are nods to Canadian cuisine like the several poutine dishes shown in the trailer. One guest judge jokes, “I’ve never eaten so much poutine before.”

There is a particularly hefty crown on the line for this season's winner, Kish reveals. “They’re here to fight for the biggest prize ever,” Kish announces in the trailer. “Over half a million dollars [is] up for grabs.”

Related: Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond Shares Sweet Photo of Her Mom Holding Her Baby Granddaughter Sofia

Celebrity chefs like Daniel Boulud join the crew in Canada to review dishes along with some less-conventional stars.

“Please welcome today’s guest judge, Michael Cera,” Kish reveals to the excited group of chefs.

The season isn’t all gravy-loaded fries and jokes from Superbad actors. The trailer shows squabbles between contestants, a cutting board getting chopped in half and other tense moments.

This season's winner can grab a grand prize of $250,000, $125,000 flight credit, a feature in Food & Wine and an appearance at Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. The winner will also headline their own dinner at James Beard House in New York and have the opportunity to present at The James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards in Chicago. Plus, chefs can win cash prizes (totaling more than $150,000) during every Quickfire Challenge and some Elimination Challenges.

Meet the 15 chefs fighting for the top prize this season:

Anya El-Wattar

El-Wattar, born and raised in Moscow, brings her mother’s foraging and preserving teachings to her kitchen. The chef-owner of Birch & Rye in San Francisco, a 2022 James Beard Awards semi-finalist for Best New Restaurant serving Russian-California fusion, was named Eater San Francisco’s Chef of the Year in 2022.

Bailey Sullivan

The Chicago native had a natural start to her culinary career having grown up in her father’s pub. Sullivan worked under several Top Chef alums, like Beverly Kim and Sarah Grueneberg, to get to her current position as chef di cucina at Grueneberg’s restaurant, Monteverde, where she blends traditional and new techniques in Italian cuisine.

César Murillo

The executive chef at North Pond blends his Mexican heritage, Texas upbringing and farm-to-table philosophy at the Chicago restaurant. Previously, Murillo worked in other Windy City restaurants and spots in San Francisco, some of which he helped to earn Michelin stars.

Corwin Hemming

After working at Michelin-starred restaurants nationwide for a decade, the Augusta, Ga., native transitioned to cooking as a private chef and in pop-up restaurants in Brooklyn. He hopes to open his own fine-dining restaurant to serve “contemporary Caribbean.”

Henry Lu

Lu got a taste for cooking while working in his parents’ Chinese restaurants in New York City before working as a sous chef at several restaurants in the Big Apple. More recently, he joined forces with Top Chef alum Evelyn Garcia in Houston to open JŪN, a 2024 James Beard Award semi-finalist for Best New Restaurant, and catering company byKIN.

 Kat Turner

The former actress and burlesque dancer pivoted to cooking by moving to attend culinary school in New York City before coming back to Los Angeles as a private chef to stars, like Smashing Pumpkins. She is currently the executive chef and partner at Highly Likely in Los Angeles.

Katianna Hong

Stints at several Michelin-starred restaurants in California over the last 10+ years brought Hong awards, like 2018 Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs, and to her culinary partner and husband, John. In 2019, the pair opened Yangban — which was a 2023 James Beard semi-finalist for Best New Restaurant.

Lana Lagomarsini

The chef-owner of Lana Cooks trained at Michelin-starred kitchens in New York City to get to her current taste for serving fine-dining soul food. She was part of James Beard Foundation’s Chef Boot Camp for Policy and Advocacy and won a culinarian award from Black Women in Food Awards by Dine Diaspora.

Massimo Piedimonte

The Italian chef was born in Montréal and trained in French cooking. His jobs took him to work under Michelin-starred chefs in New York City and Copenhagen before opening his tasting menu-style restaurant, Cabaret l’Enfer, in his hometown in 2022.

Mimi Weissenborn

Now the executive chef at several restaurants in Portland, Maine, the Maryland-native previously worked in New York City restaurants. Weissenborn currently helms the kitchen at Sur Lie, a 2023 James Beard Award semi-finalist and nominee for Outstanding Hospitality, Gather and Catface Cafe.

Paula Endara

Endara has brought her Ecuadorian background across the country while opening restaurants like Roots in Arkansas. The James Beard Foundation Bootcamp alum lives in Lexington, Ky., and is the executive chef at Grandam and Lost Palm.

Shuai Wang

Wang, who was born in Beijing but grew up in Queens, brought his New York City culinary school knowledge to his award-winning food truck in North Charleston. Since then he has opened Jackrabbit Filly and King BBQ and received honors like 2025 South Carolina Chef Ambassador.

Tristen Epps

The Houston native and Michelin-recognized chef worked at restaurants in Brooklyn and Miami before landing back in Texas. He founded a platform for collaborative dinners called Epps and Flows Culinary and is working on a tasting menu-focused spot, Buboy, and a hot dog bar.

Vincenzo “Vinny” Loseto

Loseto’s fishing and clamming upbringing in Massapequa, New York and butchery lessons from his Italian family brought him to New York City hotspots and chef competitions. Now he is the chef de cuisine at Press, a restaurant in Napa.

Zubair Mohajir

The Chennai, India-born chef was a financial analyst before switching to the culinary world. After working under Michelin-starred chefs across the country and world, he opened up three restaurants in Chicago — Lilac Tiger, Coach House and Mirra — and earned James Beard semi-finalists accolades for Best Chef Great Lakes in 2023 and Emerging Chef of the Year in 2024.

The Top Chef season 22 will air Thursday, March 13 (at 9 p.m. ET) on Bravo.

Read the original article on People