Naman Shrestha
Netflix’s ‘Next Gen Chef’ is a cooking competition series that pits 21 young and up-and-coming chefs together who have the hunger as well as the talent to compete to earn the title of “generational talent” and a grand cash prize of $500,000. In the one-of-a-kind cutthroat competition, the culinary specialists must prove themselves in front of Carlton McCoy and Kelsey Barnard Clark, both of whom serve as the judges. Hosted by the Former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo, the reality show also features guest judges across the episodes, including Cat Cora, Paul Carmichael, Francis Lam, Christina Tosi, Daniel Boulud, Emma Bengtsson, Thomas Keller, and more. The contestants show off their culinary skills in different areas of a prestigious building, which is significant in the field of cooking.
Next Gen Chef Filming Locations
The shooting of ‘Next Gen Chef’ takes place in New York, particularly in Dutchess County. Principal photography for the inaugural iteration of the reality show got underway in July 2024 and continued for about four weeks or so before wrapping up in August of the same year. Since the production took place in a designated area, the cast and crew members formed friendships and lasting memories during the shooting process. A Netflix senior executive reportedly described it as one of the most organized shoots he had ever seen for a new show.
The Culinary Institute of America, New York
The filming unit of ‘Next Gen Chef’ set up camp in and around The Culinary Institute of America at 1946 Campus Drive near the village of Hyde Park in Dutchess County, New York. The world-class private culinary school served as the ideal setting for the Netflix show, as the expansive property is the largest campus of the many located across the nation. The cast and crew members took over different spaces in the establishment, including the Farquharson Hall, which is a spacious venue for several kinds of events. The Rosenthal Residence Hall and the Tim Ryan Student Commons also feature in the cooking show. The latter is a space that provides the students with dining, athletic, and recreational facilities.
Several pivotal sequences were also reportedly taped inside the American Bounty Restaurant and Apple Pie Bakery Cafe. In addition, the production team was also spotted recording various important portions in the Post Road Brew House and The Egg. The Culinary Institute of America chancellor, Timothy Ryan, told the Poughkeepsie Journal, “The series does a terrific job in highlighting why the CIA has been named one of the most beautiful college campuses in the country.”
The shoot, which was described as “long and complicated,” was made possible with the help of the Culinary Institute of America staff, faculty, students, and the film crew. Despite all the challenges, the “shoot went extraordinarily well.” Located on a 170-acre riverside main campus, the Hyde Park campus of the Culinary Institute of America is where aspiring chefs experiment and evolve into professionals, making it the perfect destination to crown the winner of ‘Next Gen Chef.’ The town of Hyde Park has also hosted the production of ‘Diners, Drive-ins and Dives,’ another reality show based on food and cooking.
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