Let the battle begin!  The ten chef competitors for the season premiere of Food Network Canada’s Iron Chef Canada, have been announced, and they are ready to go head to head with Canadian Iron Chefs in a weekly contest to prepare five dishes with one “secret ingredient.”

In the series premiere, scheduled for October 17th , chef Marc Lepine of Ottawa’s Atelier will compete against Iron Chef Lynn Crawford.  He is a worthy opponent. In 2018, Lepine was named Canada's Most Innovative Chef by Canada's 100 Best Restaurants magazine.

The judges for the very first Iron Chef episode include Amy Rosen, writer and owner of Toronto’s delicious boutique bun-shop, Rosen’s Cinnamon Buns; Marie-Claude Lortie, columnist for La Presse; and Noah Cappe , host of Food Network Canada’s Carnival Eats.

Other contestants battling for their bragging rights are:

Jason Bangerter, Cambridge, Ont.- Executive Chef, Langdon Hall Country House Hotel and Spa

Ned Bell, Vancouver, B.C. - Executive Chef, Ocean Wise program at the Vancouver Aquarium

Alex Chen, Vancouver, B.C. - Executive Chef, Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar

John Horne, Toronto, Ont. - Executive Chef, Canoe

Marc Lepine, Ottawa, Ont. - Chef and Owner, Atelier

Nick Liu, Toronto, Ont. - Chef and Owner, DaiLo and LoPan

Brandon Olsen, Toronto, Ont. - Chef and Owner, La Banane and CXBO Chocolates

René Rodriguez, Ottawa, Ont. - Chef, COMMON Eatery

Danny “Smiles” Francis, Montreal, Que. - Chef de Cuisine, Le Bremner

Laura White, Toronto, Ont. - Pastry Chef, Forno Cultura

Iron Chef Canada is set to be the season’s must-see cooking show, so good luck to the chefs. Allez cuisine!