In a few weeks, Top Chef will make its comeback on M6. But for this 15th season, the culinary competition has its share of surprises in store for fans of the program. Overview of what’s new.
On June 7, Hugo Riboulet gave a nice gift to Philippe Etchebest. After three consecutive seasons of being dethroned by Hélène Darroze, the leader of the blue brigade finally returned to victory. Eight months later, the title holder is preparing to put his trophy back on the line. M6 will draw the 15th season of Top chef from next spring. And to support him, Philippe Etchebest already has a known talent in his team: the young Anicee, 18 years old and winner ofTop Chef objective. Coached by Yann Conte and Juan Arbelaez, the one who could already boast of being Best Apprentice of France 2023 was able to seduce the taste buds of the Best Worker in France… blindly. But also that of Thierry Marx, since since September, she has worked alongside him in his two-star restaurant Mandarin Oriental. A major asset?
The chef may need it, since, more than ever, the competition will be tough. It is in fact not four but six brigades which will confront each other… Finally, that’s what you would have thought. And for good reason, Philippe Etchebest, Hélène Darroze, Paul Pairet and Glenn Viel will now be accompanied by two new recruits – but faces well known to fans of the program. So, Stéphanie Le Quellec enters the trackshe who won the second edition of Top chef in 2011 and who, since then, has regularly served as guest conductor. Finally, Dominique Crenn completes the jury. The only woman with three stars in the United States, she judged the creations of the candidates from season 6 then 13, before coaching Arnaud Delvenne to the quarter-finals.
Top Chef 2024: only two brigades but chefs who get behind the stove
Rather than making six brigades – which would undoubtedly have been complicated to manage – the production of Top chef was much more cunning and intended to mark the occasion for the 15th anniversary of the program. “Everything changes. This season is unique because we are going to modify the mechanics a lot“, explained Stéphane Rotenberg this Monday, February 5 during the press conference. That’s an understatement to say. Instead, only two brigades will oppose : the orange brigade which will be led by Hélène Darroze, Stéphanie Le Quellec and Dominique Crenn; as well as the gray brigade headed by Philippe Etchebest, Glenn Viel and Paul Pairet. What totally destabilize the candidates. And they are not at the end of their sentence.
The emblematic tests of the competition are also turned upside down. The black box will take place outdoors and it is a completely crazy dish with impressive technical prowess that candidates and brigade leaders will have to reproduce. A plate invented on occasion by the Meilleur Ouvrier de France, Guy Krenzer. “It is one of the most difficult black boxes that the candidates will have to deal with, frankly, technically, it’s super hard“, whispered Philippe Etchebest. However, he decided to give way to the Who can beat. This year, the candidates from the orange team will have to do better than Paul Pairet and Glenn Viel, while those from the gray team will compete with Dominique Crenn and Stéphanie Le Quellec. As for the restaurant wars? “It will be a big surprise. Chefs will also have to get their hands dirty“, Stéphane Rotenberg tells us. And he gets excited: “We had fun because we had playful leaders, determined to win, delighted to be in a group.“
Pierre Gagnaire arrives on Top Chef as seventh juror
Among the other tests that can be cited, there will be a marathon during which the candidates will have to achieve a banquet for 50 former candidates. They will also join Jean Imbert in the kitchens of the Simplon-Venice-Orient-Express for palace dishes. Finally, the “classic” trompe l’oeil will become a trompe l’oeil. That is to say, they will have to create a perfect illusion in terms of flavors by creating, with vegetables only, a plate that has the appearance and taste of a meat dish. And to judge them, the candidates will face, as usual, big names in gastronomy, like Daniel Humm, Éric Frechon, Clare Smyth or even César and Léo Troisgros.
“Beyond the fact that this season is completely new, there is a HUGE surprise during the season“, teases, not without pride, the host of M6. Hélène Darroze having fully rejoined the jury, one could have imagined that this would sign the end of the hidden brigade. Nay. This parallel competition is indeed back and Top chef called on an exceptional chef for this: Pierre Gagnaire. Accompanied by François-Régis Gaudry, the multi-starred chef will, throughout this season, accompany those eliminated with the aim of returning to the competition and trying to win it with his foal. “We are all competitors. We want to be on the podium. If we come, it’s not to collect the crumbs“, says Pierre Gagnaire in a burst of laughter who intends to shake up the six brigade leaders. In short, it promises!