/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49114127/BroadStreetCharleston.0.0.jpg)
Bravo's Top Chef crowned a new winner — Jeremy Ford — less than 12 hours ago, and the production team is already ready to announce the setting for season 14: Get ready for Top Chef: Charleston, South Carolina. Shari Levine, Executive Vice President, Current Production, Bravo Media said in a release, "Charleston is the perfect location to inject our next batch of chefs. We know Charleston and are excited by the food, people and possibility it brings with its rich cultural and historical background which has played an important role in shaping South Carolina's unique cuisine."
This brings Top Chef, now going into its 11th year, back to its original model of staying focused on one city. Season 13 took viewers on a road trip up and down the California coast and ended in Las Vegas. Next season the team and contestants may have to deal with less in the way of logistical challenges, though Bravo's execs are guaranteed to keep the suspense flowing.
This marks the first time in recent Top Chef history where producers decided not to keep next season's location a secret. So Charleston residents, keep your eyes peeled for cooks in chef coats running through the aisles of the Mount Pleasant Whole Foods. Top Chef Charleston begins filming imminently, this spring, with plans to air the new season later this year. Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, and Richard Blais are all returning to the judges table. We suspect some top names in Charleston will make cameos as well. We're looking at you, Sean Brock.