Here’s where the Chopped Castaways chefs work, from BBQ joints to insanely luxury kitchens
You've definitely seen a few of them before
Food Network is officially sending chefs into survival mode with Chopped Castaways, a gloriously chaotic new spin-off that swaps spotless kitchens for beaches, spearfishing, and what will almost certainly become televised emotional breakdowns over coconuts.
Hosted by Ted Allen, the new series drops 12 chefs onto a remote island where they’ll battle for a $100,000 prize while surviving brutal physical challenges and the classic Chopped mystery basket pressure. The cast is stacked with reality TV veterans, BBQ legends and one very familiar Hell’s Kitchen runner-up.
Here’s where the Chopped Castaways cast work, and why some of them already look incredibly familiar.
Chef Aidan Barry Owens
Aidan is the culinary director behind Herb & Wood and Herb & Sea in California, two hugely popular restaurants known for wood-fired cooking and ultra-polished seasonal menus.
Before stepping into TV, he grew up on a farm in Australia learning how to grow, butcher and prepare food from scratch. Surprisingly, Chopped Castaways is actually his first-ever food competition show.
Chef Ara Zada
Ara is less tied to one restaurant and more known as a globe-trotting chef and food creator with a massive online following.
He’s built a reputation around internationally inspired dishes and storytelling through food, appearing on No Passport Required and Magnolia Network’s Recipe Lost and Found.
Chef Carrie Baird
Carrie runs Fox and the Hen in Denver, a brunch spot that’s become a cult favourite for giant comfort-food plates.
She’s already a reality TV veteran after competing on multiple seasons of Top Chef, judging on the show and even beating Bobby Flay on Beat Bobby Flay. Honestly, she might be one of the scariest people to compete against here.
Chef Cate Meade
Chef Dwight Hudgins
Dwight, also known as “The Dreaded Fisherman”, runs a catering business out of Largo, Florida and has built a loyal following around seafood-heavy Southern cooking.
Unlike some of the reality TV regulars in the cast, this is actually his first food competition series, which either makes him wildly underestimated or immediate cannon fodder. There is no in-between.
Chef Hannah Flora
Hannah works as a private chef in Florida while also writing as a columnist for Golf Kitchen, which feels deeply glamorous for someone now competing barefoot on an island.
Most people will probably recognise her from season 23 of Hell’s Kitchen, where she finished as runner-up after surviving weeks of Gordon Ramsay screaming at everyone. Frankly, after Hell’s Kitchen, surviving on a beach probably feels relaxing.
Chef James Peck
James is the owner of Ember and the Four Pears, a live-fire restaurant in Northampton that’s become known for dramatic flame-cooked dishes and rustic fine dining.
He previously appeared on the BBC series Chef’s Brigade, so he already knows his way around intense culinary TV pressure.
Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois
Jean-Paul is a Louisiana wild-game specialist based in Thibodaux, where he’s become famous for cooking Cajun-inspired dishes with duck, venison and seafood.
He’s appeared both as a competitor and judge on Beat Bobby Flay and also executive produced Duck Camp Dinners.
Chef Logan Sandoval
Logan owns Zef BBQ in California, one of the most hyped barbecue spots on the West Coast.
He’s become known for blending traditional Texas-style barbecue with Filipino flavours, and he’s already built a serious reality TV résumé with appearances on BBQ Brawl, Raid the Fridge and Supermarket Stakeout.
He also came runner-up on Netflix’s Barbecue Showdown, so he clearly thrives under pressure.
Chef Paulette Tejada
Paulette works as a celebrity private chef in New York City, specialising in international cuisine and high-end events where everything has to run perfectly.
Unlike some of the competition veterans around her, Chopped Castaway smarks her first proper food competition series.
Chef Stephen Kina
Stephen owns 406 BBQ in Montana, where he serves Hawaiian-inspired barbecue and Asian fusion dishes that have built a loyal local following.
Despite running a successful restaurant, he’s somehow never competed on a cooking competition show before now.
Chef Sunny Moody
Sunny is the pitmaster behind Moodswing Barbecue and also runs Grilled Fit in Nashville, balancing barbecue with wellness-focused cooking and huge community events.
She’s already appeared on BBQ Brawl and BBQ USA, so she knows exactly how chaotic food television can get. Still, there’s a difference between cooking outdoors and literally hunting for your ingredients on an island.