Austin’s Chef Matt Peters Competes for $1M on CBS’ ‘America’s Culinary Cup’
The Bocuse d’Or gold medalist joins 15 of the nation’s most decorated culinary talents in Padma Lakshmi’s new high-stakes showdown
Chef Matt Peters, the first American to win gold at the Bocuse d’Or, will compete for $1 million on CBS’ new primetime series, “America’s Culinary Cup,” premiering March 4 after “Survivor 50.”
Created, hosted, and executive produced by Padma Lakshmi, the new culinary competition series features 16 of the nation’s most decorated chefs. The winner will take home $1 million — the largest cash prize in culinary television history — and earn the title of America’s Culinary Cup champion.
For Peters, the opportunity to join the inaugural season was difficult to pass up.
“Padma and CBS, they were rounding up different candidates from across the country and fortunately they reached out and kind of poked around to see if there was interest,” Peters said. “And of course, knowing what Padma has done with Top Chef and showcasing something that’s going to be new and fresh and innovative from the culinary perspective was very enticing as well as the prize money of course.”
Throughout the season, chefs will face elimination-style challenges testing 10 so-called “culinary commandments”: meat, vegetables, sauces, dessert, innovation, flavor, sustainability, world cuisine, consistency and culinary science and technology. Contestants will be judged on taste, creativity, presentation and technical precision.
A new kind of culinary competition
Peters said the format differed dramatically from the highly regimented preparation required for the Bocuse d’Or, the prestigious international culinary competition where he made history in 2017.
“Having done (competitions) with Bocuse and knowing the regimen and the timing, I mean, that’s a totally different experience,” he said. “But I didn’t know what we were about to walk into. Everything was a surprise and everything was kind of day to day. There was very little to prepare for.”
Instead, Peters relied on the experience he built over years in elite kitchens and international competition.
“So for me, it’s just like, stick to what I know and have done very well at for the long period of time that I’ve been in this industry and then also take a lot of experience from what I did in Bocuse and hope that that translates,” he said.
The competition also pushed Peters outside his comfort zone.
“I think I knew that I was always hesitant on doing TV shows. I didn’t know how the process works,” he said. “It was more important to kind of get out of my comfort zone because I think I’ve been able to manage my comfort within the restaurant for so long and I think it was just time to change things up.”
The judges and competition
Joining Lakshmi at the judges’ table are acclaimed chefs Michael Cimarusti and Wylie Dufresne. Cimarusti, a three-Michelin-starred chef and sustainability advocate, and Dufresne, known for his science-driven, modernist approach to cooking, will help determine who advances and who is sent home.
The roster includes six Michelin-starred chefs — an honor held by fewer than 1% of restaurants worldwide — along with two Bocuse d’Or medalists, two James Beard Award winners and 14 James Beard nominees.
Peters, who owns Austin cocktail and canapé lounge Prélude, enters the competition with one of the most formidable résumés in the field, having trained in elite Michelin-starred kitchens before making culinary history on the international stage.
Still, the potential payoff extends beyond the title.
“One of my goals is to open up my own restaurant,” Peters said. “I knew I wanted to pursue that dream and this was just going to be a very big cushion to help me get to achieving that goal.”
Peters said Prélude serves as a launching pad for a future full-service restaurant concept currently in development.
“We’re dealing with the legal fun stuff that binds everything together to get to second phase,” he said. “The wheels are turning in a good way and we’re just embracing the journey as it goes along.”
Plans for the future
Between the television debut, coaching duties for the U.S. Bocuse d’Or team and plans for a new restaurant, Peters said the coming years will be busy.
“For the majority of this year going into 2027, our goal is getting back to the podium for Bocuse d’Or, coaching that team along the way,” he said. “And then really focusing on trying to get this restaurant open. It’s been long overdue and we’re very close.”
As for the show itself, Peters believes viewers may find something different from typical culinary competitions.
“I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised in enjoyment with what CBS has done with Padma directing everything,” he said. “I think it’s a fresh breath of air in the culinary world, especially competitions on television.”
“America’s Culinary Cup” premieres with a special 90-minute episode March 4 at 8:30 p.m. CT on CBS and will stream live and on demand on Paramount+.