Gordon Ramsay Revamps the Cooking Competition with ITV’s Next Level Chef

The most difficult cooking competition in the history of mankind is here, and it’s called “Next Level Chef” and premieres soon on ITV.

In this series hosted by Gordon Ramsay, twelve aspiring chefs, compete in a cooking challenge unlike any other, held in a three-story kitchen that towers 50 feet into the air.

Incredible amateur cooks will battle for the first time against celebrity chefs and internet food personalities. Each week, the contestants will have only a few seconds to acquire supplies, and then only a few minutes to prepare a dish that will blow the minds of the Mentors.

The amazing three-story kitchen features everything from the opulent top flight kitchen to the bare-bones basement kitchen, demonstrating that the cooks must prove they can work their magic in any environment.

In this competition to identify Britain’s next top chef, Gordon Ramsay is joined by two other culinary legends, Paul Ainsworth and Nyesha Arrington, who each mentor a team of promising cooks.

Who will make it to the top and claim the £100,000 prize and a year of unrivalled Mentorship from Gordon, Paul, and Nyesha to make their culinary ambitions a reality?

Ramsay has already tested the concept with a season of the show of FOX and it’s a winning format, tense and exciting.

Here Ramsay, along with co-hosts Paul Ainsworth and Nyesha Arrington spills the beans on what we can expect from the series.

Can you tell us a little about Next Level Chef?
Gordon: When we first entered lockdown, I was reflecting back to the beginning of my career, because I started in the Basement. Then you work up into this semi decent kitchen. And then 20 years later, you build this stunning, beautiful state of the art kitchen, and the idea was born. How do you flip flop from each kitchen? And how do you combine all that experience into one show, on three different levels? I’ve worked in two different kitchens on top of each other before, I’ve never quite done three. So it was a sort of a gang busting idea.

Gordon: I think it’s the first of its kind. And having been involved with many shows, from Hell’s Kitchen to MasterChef, this is a combination of everything that I’ve ever done in the last 15 years. But the new inclusion of social media stars is something that a lot of top chefs are very sniffy about. I welcome them with open arms, because they’re some of the most talented, gifted chefs on the planet today.

Nyesha: I would say that Next Level Chef is really a first of its kind show. I had the privilege to go and guest judge on MasterChef. And when they talked to me about this idea, they were talking me through it and the whole competition is truly unbelievable. I was like – wait, so the ingredients are coming down on a little mini elevator, through the kitchens, and it’s all timed? It’s incredible. I also really value mentorship, so it’s very imperative to me to be able to pass down knowledge and legacy.

Paul: I think the big thing for me was just seeing the change in people from the beginning, as each episode went by, you just saw them all – even the ones that went home early – just getting better and better. I think as a viewer, you get just a phenomenal show – from cooking tips to self help really. In terms of the actual competition itself, it is truly staggering. It’s phenomenal.

What makes Next Level Chef so different from other cooking shows?
GR: There’s been great cooking shows out there, from Great British Bake Off to Great British Menu to MasterChef. What separates Next Level Chef for me is the fact that there’s no format to what they’re cooking. They’re cooking what they’re grabbing. And being spontaneous is the most exciting part of being a Chef, whether you’re domestic social or professional, because you have no idea what’s coming down. And then on each and every level, it depletes so by time we get down to the Basement, which no one wants to be in but that’s where you find the most about yourself, there’s minimal ingredients. Ingredients that weren’t wanted by other floors. And there’s a bonus from time to time where some of the best ingredients end down in Basement because the other chefs on higher floors have been a little bit too sceptical about choosing. It is uniquely different because the cooks have no idea what’s going on that platform. Sometimes it can be a fish challenge, sometimes you have shellfish, sometimes steak and so they have no idea what’s coming. The majority of cooking competitions, I’m not saying they play safe, but they have to give a lot of insight to what’s coming and what you should be looking for. Next Level Chef is raw. They are cooking on the fly and that’s the bit that excites me the most – the nervous energy when they see that platform moving.

PA: It’s so high octane. And so high energy. And it’s tough. The contestants start each cook running over to a platform and choosing ingredients in 30 seconds before it drops down to the next floor. It’s not impossible but is truly demanding. You’re nervous and trying to come up with a dish on the spot. Everyone could run over there and just do a massive sweep with their arm. So there’s a really clever rule, if you grab it you use it. Then you might get a mid round drop where you’ve got another ingredient to add to your dish. Then finally, after cooking, you’ve got to get your finished dish back onto the platform before time runs out. It’s a challenge and I think it will be a great watch.

Paul, what was it like working with Gordon, obviously you’ve got a long history together?
PA: Surreal. I think I might get a bit better at answering this question as time goes on, but hand on heart, the best way I can describe it is just to tell you the very short version of our history. I left Southampton I moved to London and I worked for the amazing Gary Rhodes. Gordon Ramsay was a chef that was massively up and coming. Nobody knew who he was outside of the industry. He had two Michelin stars at the time. I was just drawn to want to go work for Gordon. We had a Sunday off and me and the boys were in a pub in Pimlico. One of the lads said Gordon Ramsay’s just pulled up to that phone box. He was in a silver Golf GTI. I just had to pluck up the courage because I knew I wanted to be a part of his team, he had a good reputation and he was a real taskmaster. Anyway, I ran out of the pub and ran across the road. He was ages on this call. I just waited outside the phone box. He came out and he was just such a giant character. I couldn’t get my words out. I eventually said that I would really love to come and work for him. He wrote down the kitchen number. And that was that – I went and worked for him for six years. And I started at the very bottom. When I left there, I was a sous chef. I moved to Cornwall and I’ve gone on and done my own thing. There’s a sort of camaraderie between the apprentice and the master. But I’m no longer the apprentice now! I’m like, how did this happen? How is this a thing? But I give as good as I get on this show. I think I’ve tried to bring all those things that people would love to say to Gordon and take the mickey out of him. But in all honesty, he loves it. He absolutely takes it all in good humour.

What can we expect from some of the contributors?
GR: We’ve got an array, from individuals that are focused on their career but have now realised, especially on the back of the pandemic, that food is their calling. We’ve seen this year, a lot of flip flopping where people are denouncing what they’ve studied and went to University for and food is their new calling. Accountants, ex-Military, Models, Corporate Business people, a Paralympian so an extraordinary collection of people. Talented mums, talented dads and some really cross sector individuals.

NA: We have some professional chefs – one travels the world cooking on a mega yacht. They dock and he sources all these ingredients and cooks for this family and has expendable cash accounts for his food. He was interesting to watch and to see his repertoire. You also have people that are home cooks that just bring the most beautiful joy in their cooking. I always say that you have to put the love in food. And I think that you can see it when the home cooks talk about what they made for their child for dinner, the love that they’re able to include – it’s a superpower that they’re able to draw from. As professional chefs we learn different skills and techniques, but being able to draw from your family heritage and your love – those are the food memories, right? When I think about my grandmother cooking for me, literally that is what inspired me to be a chef. These home cooks are creating those food memories for their kids, you can truly taste it. There’s another person who is a dentist, and just happens to love cooking and throws dinner parties, and half of his family is from China and half of his family is from India. It’s super interesting to see this repertoire be represented on a plate.

What can the contestants win?
GR: I wanted to come out the gate with a prize that was unmatchable. I wanted to offer something that was somewhat unique. We offer the most amazing one year mentorship for these individuals from Paul, Nyesha and myself. From my HQ, tapping into the whole social media platform, the development team from a restaurant on the river, to a one star, two star or three star Michelin environment. Then access to Nyesha and all her incredible knowledge. And then with Paul down in Cornwall who has absolutely captured the essence of Cornwall with the sustainability and all the ingredients and just the whole oasis of what Cornwall offers. All for 12 months. It’s all about what they want to get from it, we’re going to tailor make this incredible mentorship for them. And that was a prize that money can’t buy. The £100,000, that’s a fantastic, an added bonus. The real prize is the mentorship because if you can’t get what you want from a prize like that, then you’re in the wrong competition.

NA: It’s pretty awesome. I would arguably say that the intangible wins are actually one of the most important parts of the competition. You get to draw knowledge from three different individuals with three different skill sets, three different journeys. And I mean, that information is invaluable. Three different perspectives, three different walks of life. The amount of life tools, skills, technique, business knowledge, social acumen – all of these tools that are essentially fuelling the culinary dreams of someone who earned it. And obviously, also the huge amount of cash.