Netflix, C4 serve up Five Star Chef with First Dates prodco, Michel Roux Jr

Netflix and UK commercially funded pubcaster Channel 4 have co-commissioned a cooking competition series from Twenty Twenty, the prodco behind C4 hit First Dates.

Michel Roux Jr

Five Star Chef will pit some of Britain’s brightest and most ambitious chefs against one another as they attempt to win a restaurant in luxury London hotel The Langham, with celebrated chef Michel Roux Jr leading the judging panel.

Ruth Kelly and Amanda Westwood are executive producers on the format, with Katy Fryer serving as showrunner. The series editor is Philip McCreery and the series producer is Charlotte Gillie.

Distributed by Warner Bros International Television Production, Five Star Chef was commissioned for C4 by head of factual entertainment Alf Lawrie and factual entertainment commissioning editor Daniel Fromm.

Fromm said: “The winner of this incredible new format will immediately be propelled to the top of the gastronomic tree with their own restaurant at one of the world’s most iconic hotels. With such a life-changing prize at stake, this will be a hotly contested competition, showcasing the best culinary talent in the UK.”

In other news, C4 has commissioned Outrageous Homes with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and a reboot of its River Cottage franchise.

Outrageous Homes with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen (4×60) sees the designer meet people across the country who value originality and decorate their homes without fear. It is produced by Beyond Productions North and the executive producers are Damon Pattison and Zoe Thorman, with Lizzie Gill as series producer.

River Cottage Reunited is from Keo Films, bringing Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s series back to inspire viewers with his grow-your-own, back-to-nature food philosophy.

Commissioned by Anna Miralis the 4×50’ series is set to return to More4 exec produced by Andrew Palmer.