The Final Table is a global culinary competition show featuring the world’s most talented chefs fighting for a spot at the elite, Final Table made up of the greatest chefs from around the globe. The series features 12 teams of two chefs from around the world cooking the national dishes of Mexico, Spain, England, Brazil, France, Japan, the U.S., India and Italy. Each episode focuses on a different country and its cuisine, with celebrity ambassadors, food critics and the country’s greatest chef eliminating teams until the finale. In that last episode, only one of our competing chefs will win a place at the Final Table, joining the nine legendary culinary icons — Enrique Olvera (Mexico), Andoni Aduriz (Spain), Clare Smyth (UK), Helena Rizzo (Brazil), Vineet Bhatia (India), Grant Achatz (US), Carlo Cracco (Italy), Yoshihiro Narisawa (Japan) and Anne-Sophie Pic (France). The series will be presented by Andrew Knowlton, James Beard Award-winning Writer and Editor at Large, Bon Appétit. Created and exec produced by Robin Ashbrook & Yasmin Shackleton. The production company is theoldschool.
The 12 teams include (listed with their associated restaurants and location, and hometowns):
Aaron Bludorn (Cafe Boulud: New York, New York, USA, from Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA) and Graham Campbell (Castlehill Restaurant: Dundee, Scotland/United Kingdom, from Oban, Scotland)
Darren MacLean (Shokunin: Calgary, Canada, from Innisfail, Canada) and Timothy Hollingsworth (Otium: Los Angeles, California, USA, from Houston, Texas, USA)
Shin Takagi (Zeniya: Ishikawa, Japan, from Ishikawa, Japan) and Ronald Hsu (Lazy Betty: Atlanta, Georgia, USA, also from Atlanta, Georgia, USA)
Alex Haupt (101 Gowrie: Amsterdam, Netherlands, from Sydney, Australia) and Ash Heeger (Ash: Cape Town, South Africa, from Umtata, South Africa)
Shane Osborn (Arcane: Hong Kong, China, from Perth, Australia) and Mark Best (Bistro by Mark Best: Hong Kong, China & Singapore, from Sydney, Australia)
Monique Fiso (Hiakai: Porirua, New Zealand, from Wellington, New Zealand) and Amninder Sandhu (Arth: Mumbai, India, from Jorhat, India)
James Knappett (Bubbledogs/Kitchen Table: London, United Kingdom, from Newmarket, United Kingdom) and Angel Vazquez (Salomé, Into/Angurio: Puebla, Mexico, also from Puebla, Mexico)
Jessica Lorigo (Topa Sukalderia: San Sebastian, Spain, from Buffalo, New York, USA) and Johnny Spero (Reverie: Washington DC, USA, from Baltimore, Maryland, USA)
Collin Brown (Chef Collin Brown: London, United Kingdom, from Trelawny, Jamaica) and Colibri Jimenez (Casa Morales/My Bowls: Oaxaca, Mexico, from Morelos, Mexico)
Esdras Ochoa (11 Westside/Salazar/Mexicali Taco & Co.: Hong Kong, China & Los Angeles, California, USA, from Mexico City, Mexico) and Rafa Gil (Highest Hotel in the World: Hong Kong, China, from Bataguassu, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazi)
Charles Michel (Nomad Culinary Artist: Ecuador, Colombia, France & London, from Bruges, France) and Rodrigo Pacheco (Boca Valdivia: Manabi, Ecuador, from Quito, Ecuador)
Manuel Berganza (Tapas Club: Singapore, from Gijón, Spain) and Benjamin Bensoussan (Honest Greens: Madrid, Spain, from Paris, France)
The chefs will be judged by celebrity ambassadors and food critics from 9 countries around the world including Dax Shepard, Hasan Minhaj, and Alessandra Ambrosio:
Ambassadors:
Colin Hanks and Dax Shepard (United States Ambassadors)
Martha Higareda and Julio Cesar Chavez (Mexico Ambassadors)
Miguel Bose and Ana Polvorosa (Spain Ambassadors)
Gary Lineker and Cat Deeley (United Kingdom Ambassadors)
Alessandra Ambrosio and Bebel Gilberto (Brazil Ambassadors)
Ranganathan Madhavan and Hasan Minhaj (India Ambassadors)
Alessandro Del Piero and Eleonora Cozzella (Italy Ambassadors)
Esterelle Payany (France Ambassador)
Hikari Mori and Yuji Ayabe (Japan Ambassadors)
Food Critics
Sam Sifton (United States Food Critic)
Mariana Camacho (Mexico Food Critic)
Borja Beneyto (Spain Food Critic)
Jay Rayner (United Kingdom Food Critic)
Josimar Melo (Brazil Food Critic)
Rashmi Uday Singh (India Food Critic)
Andrea Petrini (Italy Food Critic)
Francois-Regis Gaudry (France Food Critic)
Akiko Katayama (Japan Food Critic)