Toronto skyline
(Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Top chef packs knives and aprons and heads to Canada for season 22.
The Bravo series is making a rare foray outside the U.S. after season 20 was filmed in London and season 21 was based in Wisconsin. Top chef Judges Kristen Kish, Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons announced their Canada road trip on Instagram on Tuesday, with Kish standing first in the shadow of Toronto’s CN Tower.
Season 22 will be a homecoming of sorts for Simmons, a Toronto native. “I’m here checking out the filming location for the new season. That’s right, season 22: Destination: Canada,” she announced in the social media post, which was modeled after a FaceTime session between the trio.
Bravo has not yet announced a premiere date for the upcoming season of Top chef or which Canadian contestants will compete. Canada’s Michelin-starred chefs and restaurant owners, as well as its best bartenders and winemakers, have long had starring and guest roles in popular reality TV series filmed on both sides of the border for Food Network and other American broadcasters.
The Bravo series, which will set up cameras north of the border, is an opportunity for Canada’s culinary scene, which is dominated by diverse foods centered around immigrant communities in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, to showcase itself. Destination Canada, which promotes tourism north of the border, welcomed the Bravo series.
“Canada’s culinary identity is rooted in our vast geography, the rhythm of our seasons and the culture and tradition of our communities; yes, that includes maple syrup and much more,” said Gloria Loree, senior vice president, marketing strategy & chief marketing officer at Destination Canada, in a statement. “We are excited to see how this evolves through the judges, the challenges and experiences of the contestants and surprise viewers along the way.”
“Coffeeaholic. Lifelong alcohol fanatic. Typical travel expert. Prone to fits of apathy. Internet trailblazer.”