Next Level Chef Season 4 brings together a competitive pool of chefs as they conquer a gauntlet of complex cooking challenges to vie for the ultimate bragging rights in the kitchen.
As another season of the hit reality series premieres, three groups of home chefs, social media cooks, and professionals must outcook one another while trying to impress their high-profile mentors to earn the right to become the next food superstar and win $250,000.
The returning mentors from previous seasons, namely Gordon Ramsay, Nyesha Arrington, and Richard Blais will look to choose the best of the best for their team.
Next Level Chef Season 3 premiered on Fox on February 13.
Next Level Chef Season 4 Cast Guide
Hosts/Mentors:
Gordon Ramsay
Instagram: @gordongram
Gordon Ramsay, who also serves as Next Level Chef's executive producer, returns as one of the high-profile judge and mentor for the new batch of chefs in Season 4.
Aside from being considered as the most influential chef of all time, Ramsay's brutally honest remarks combined with excellent advice on top of his track record makes him one of the coveted mentors in the reality competition.
After dealing with some controversy in Next Level Chef Season 3, Ramsay has set its sights in improving the challenges while helping each chef to become the best as they conquer unique situations that would make them better inside the kitchen.
In an unexpected twist, Ramsay revealed in the first look promo for Season 4 that him and the two other mentors will also be part of the action in the kitchen for the first time, helping their team gain some advantage over the others.
Ramsay has a warning to mentors Richard Blais and Nyesha Arrington ahead of Season 4, "Give me your best shot and take me down."
Richard Blais
Instagram: @richardblais
After making an impact as a mentor in Next Level Chef Season 3, Richard Blais wants a shot at redemption over Gordon Ramsay by having his mentee win it all in the new season.
In the same promo, Blais, who is the winner of the inaugural Top Chef All-Stars and a James Beard nominated cookbook author, says that "it is imperative" that Ramsay doesn't win for two straight years, and he will do everything to defeat him and his chosen chef.
Speaking with Gold Derby, Blais has offered high praise toward the social media chefs of Season 4, noting that they are "really good at articulating" due to being used to connect with their audiences:
"Our social media chefs are really good at articulating because they’re talking to their communities and their audiences. They’re usually pretty good at presentation because they have to make a dish that looks good on screen. Sometimes, they’re not that great with timing because they’re used to setting up their ring lights and spending six hours making a dish."
Nyesha Arrington
Instagram: @nyeshajoyce
Rounding out the mentor list of Next Level Chef Season 4 is former Top Chef: Texas Season 9 contestant Nyesha Arrington.
After winning the inaugural Next Level Chef season with her mentee Pyet Despain, Arrington hopes to win it all again in the 2025 edition of the competition.
In the same interview with Gold Derby, the Next Level Chef mentor said that she is excited about the new batch of talent in Season 4, teasing that they have "some absolute heavy-hitters:"
“I’m most excited about this new batch of talent. We have some absolute heavy-hitters — some of the brightest social media stars and some of the best chefs in the game. A really exciting element of surprise is that your esteemed judge panel is going to be putting on an apron in an episode and cooking alongside our team."
Contestants:
Bobby Hicks
Instagram: @thisfellow
Joining the pool of contestants as part of the social media chefs is Bobby Hicks.
In his website called Retro Recipe Kitchens that he owns, Bobby said that Season 4 will be filled with "so many twists, turns, surprises and disappointments for [him]."
He proved himself to be a top-tier chef because of his engaging content and creative takes on dishes.
Jake Goldberg
Instagram: @silly_jake
Jake Goldberg wants to prove that he belongs in the main stage of Next Level Chef Season 4.
As a passionate food lover, Jake, via his site Silly Jake, believes that food is incredibly powerful enough to "further deepen our connection to the natural world:"
"Through food we can further deepen our connection to the natural world. We can embrace culture, taste history and create life long memories."
He is set to bring his own sense of creativity and innovation to the world of Next Level Chef as he tries to outcook his competition.
Jeff Kim
Instagram: @thecrunchbros
Jeff Kim, 35, is known for his delicious and viral dishes online that have bold and indulging flavors.
He steps into the platform of Next Level Kitchen as he tries to put some flair in his dishes, with hopes of impressing all three mentors enough so that they can end up choosing him after the first round.
Mistie Knight
Instagram: @mistieknight
Mistie Knight, via Instagram, says that it is "time to level up," noting that she promised herself that she wouldn't "let fear prevent [her] from this once in a lifetime opportunity."
The 41-year-old social media chef from Las Vegas is no stranger to the spotlight, considering the fact that she is also a magician for over two decades alongside her husband, Kyle.
Part of her expertise in the kitchen is sharing quick recipes and cooking hacks to all aspiring chefs around the world.
Rebecca Guevera
Instagram: @becca_guevara
Rebecca Guevera is a 27-year-old social media chef who is ready to break new grounds and outlast her peers in Next Level Chef Season 4.
Known for her delicious viral dishes and charming personality, Rebecca is determined to prove that her skills in the kitchen is on par with the best of the best in the world of cooking.
Megan Sheley
Instagram: @megansheley
Megan Sheley is a foodie-turned-recipe developer who is set to make impactful and delicious dishes in Next Level Chef Season 4.
According to her website, Megan promotes bio-individuality because she believes "every body is unique, and what works for one person, may not work for another."
Joining Next Level Chef means everything for the 33-year-old social media chef since she wants to empower viewers with her cooking.
Keith Garrett
Instagram: @chef_ocho
Keith Garrett is a street food legend from South Los Angeles known for his Quesadilla and the charismatic owner of All Flavor No Grease.
As a self-taught chef, he joins Next Level Chef Season 4 to showcase his innovative cooking techniques in order to impress the three mentors/judges.
Megan Keno
Instagram: @homemade.home.megan
Representing the home chefs in Next Level Chef Season 4 is Megan Keno. She also works as a project manager at Sea-Tac Airport.
Megan is the proud author of her own cookbook about cast iron cooking called Cast Iron Gourmet (which Gordon Ramsay has already read by the way).
Cast Iron has been a huge part of her culinary identity and she is hoping that she can showcase her masterful skills on it in the brand-new season.
Arnav Kamulkar
Instagram: @chefarnav
Despite the high stakes of joining an intense competition like Next Level Chef Season 4, 19-year-old Arnav Kamulkar embraces the pressure as he prepares to endure the different challenges in the kitchen.
Natalia Gutierrez
Instagram: @nataaliajoy
28-year-old Natalia Gutierrez grew up in a kitchen with limited ingredients so she is no stranger to cooking food in the basement level of Next Level Chef.
As a proud member of a Mexican family, Natalia loves to cook for everyone, and she reveals that she can make a meal out of anything.
Jimmy Parreira
Instagram: @b.i.f.f.34
Jimmy Parreira is not just a talented chef. Instead, he also serves as an army pilot for the Navy.
Cooking for his co-workers and friends in the Navy essentially sparked his passion for the kitchen, and he joins Next Level Chef Season 4 as someone who has a lot to prove while also determined to win it all.
Nick Caiazzo
Instagram: @nicksonlinekitchen
Nick Caiazzo has an immense passion for both cooking and practicing law (since he is a state prosecutor and assistant district attorney).
Nick wants to prove that he is a versatile chef by making delicious dishes that will hopefully impress the judges.
Maryam Ishtiaq
Instagram: @maryamishtiaq
Maryam Ishtiag of the Home Chefs is proud to admit that her kids serve as her main inspiration in competing for the grand prize of Next Level Chef Season 4.
The 31-year-old chef from Dallas, Texas is of Punjabi descent and the way they show love to people is through food.
As an immigrant, Maryam takes pride in all the struggles and the ups and downs to chase the American dream.
She is a firm believer that she's an expert in the kitchen, and she is out to prove her incredible skills in front of the judges of Next Level Chef Season 4.
Ruma
Instagram: @runitback.ruma
34-year-old Ruma is a home chef and a technical sales manager from Atlanta, Georgia.
Ruma reveals that he cooks "fast, aggressive, and chaotic," noting that it is due to his "very competitive" side.
Cathy Cann
Instagram: @cathycann_
Cathy Cann, 30, hails from Stratford Connecticut and he is part of the Home Chefs.
In Episode 2, Cathy suffers a minor accident after cutting herself with a knife from opening a can. Still, she didn't use it as an excuse to prevail as she moved on to the middle level.
After learning that her husband had cancer back in 2019, she used cooking as a way to cope and escape from everything. Essentially, cooking saved her life.
Beatrice Heirigs
Instagram: @beatricethetenacious
Beatrice Heirigs is an up-and-coming young chef under the Pro Chef group of Next Level Chef Season 4.
Despite being 18 years old, she knows what it takes to leave an impact on the big stage, combining her exemplary talent and utmost determination to try and win it all.
Ashley Applewhite
Instagram: @ash.angel
Ashley, 33, is a professional chef who has a stellar background in high-end cuisine.
The service that Ashley provides is private dining, and she is proud to have created many delicious dishes over the years.
By joining Next Level Chef, she is determined to thrive under pressure and deliver great results.
Iman Kawa
Instagram: @imannkawa
Right off the bat in Round 1, 35-year-old Iman Kawa declares her intention to win it all after butting heads with another professional chef (Brandon) in the basement level.
As a line cook, Iman has 10 years of experience and she owns a luxury custom cookie company. Clearly, Iman is someone who wants to be the best at what she does all the time.
Austin Beckett
Instagram: @oui_jefe
As a professional chef from West Palms Beach, Florida, Austin Beckett has over 15 years of experience in the kitchen.
Austin knows what it takes to work under pressure, and he is clearly built for a competition like Next Level Chef.
He is risking everything to be part of Next Level Chef since his ultimate goal is to start a family with his wife.
Brandon Rogers
Instagram: @chefbrandonrogers
Enrolling in culinary school changed Brandon's life forever since it reinvigorated his love for the kitchen.
Along with his competitive fire, Brandon will look to use his vast experience in working with some of the top professional chefs in Chicago as an advantage in trying to reach the top of the food chain in Next Level Chef Season 4.
Brennan Dates
Instagram: @olive.oil.and.gasoline
Brennan Dates is a powerhouse, mainly because he has been the head chef on superyachts for the last 22 years.
Some of Brennan's customers include the likes of Justin Bieber, Steven Spielberg, and Barbara Streisand.
Whenever he's not cooking, he rides his motorcycle as a way to escape and he is also an explorer at heart.
Ash Del Rosario
Instagram: @chefashdelro
Ash Del Rosario loves Mother Earth and she always spends time traveling the world to attend wellness retreats as her form of escapism.
Aside from her vast experience in the kitchen as a professional chef, Ash simply wants to share her passion by making delicious food for her customers and loved ones.
Ryan Scanlon
Instagram: @chef4theday
Ryan Scanlon is the epitome of grace under pressure. At the young age of 22, he had already cooked for former U.S. President Barack Obama and former first lady, Michelle Obama, and they both loved his dish.
With so much swag and a terrific milestone cooking for the Obamas under his belt, Ryan will look to add Next Level Chef grand winner as part of his resumé.
New episodes of Next Level Chef Season 4 premiere every Thursday on Fox at 8 p.m. ET.
