Neil Perry, Guillaume Brahimi and Guy Grossi join Seven's 'Iron Chef Australia'.

MEDIA RELEASE - Three of Australia’s world-class top chefs – Neil Perry, Guy Grossi and Guillaume Brahimi – will become ‘Iron Chefs’ when Channel Seven launches the new arena-style cooking competition series, IRON CHEF AUSTRALIA.

Production will commence in Melbourne next month. These ‘Iron Chefs’ will compete against aspiring professional cooks in a battle against the clock to produce the best menu, as judged by the most discerning food critics in the country.

The Iron Chef battle is not for amateurs or the faint-hearted – it is a cooking competition of Olympic proportions. Our ‘Iron Chefs’ will be challenged by the new kids on the block, who think they have what it takes to take on the champions and win. The ‘Kitchen Stadium’ is where the battle will take place and viewers will have front row seats to the pressure cooker environment that is a commercial kitchen. Whose cuisine will reign supreme?

NEIL PERRY – One of Australia’s leading and most influential chefs, Neil has managed several of Sydney’s top restaurants, including the award-winning Rockpool. This landmark establishment celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2009, and since its inception has been consistently lauded by food critics world-wide. Among Rockpool’s many achievements is winning the Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year Award for the third time in 2004 – the only restaurant ever to have achieved this distinction.

GUILLAUME BRAHIMI – Born in France, Guillaume worked at three-star Michelin restaurants, La Tour D’argent and Jamin in Paris, before moving to Australia. Within six months of opening his first restaurant Pond, he earned Two Chef Hats before joining Bilsons at Circular Quay. By 1998 he achieved the highest accolade of Three Chef Hats. In late 2001, he took over the flagship restaurant at the Sydney Opera House, Bennelong. By early 2002, Guillaume at Bennelong was named by Conde Naste Traveller as one of the top 50 new restaurants in the world and has gained Three Chef’s Hats.

GUY GROSSI – A leading Australian chef, presenter and food media personality, Guy is owner and head chef of Melbourne’s iconic Grossi Florentino, the colourful Mirka at Tolarno Hotel in St Kilda, Grossi Trattoria, Bangkok and the soon to be opened The Merchant restaurant to be located in the Rialto Towers forecourt.

IRON CHEF AUSTRALIA is the original sports-meets-cooking challenge between the best chefs in the country, and those aspiring to be. Featuring secret and surprising ingredients such as live squid and live large octopi, the chefs must create four unique dishes in one hour.

Iron Chef, originally devised and owned by the Fuji Creative Corporation, enjoyed huge success in Japan and subsequently on the Food Network in the USA achieving cult status in both countries. In the US, over 160 ‘battles’ have been produced to date and the series, currently in its ninth season, has been in airing for nearly six years. Iron Chef is one of the Networks highest rated programs and has continued to grow season to season.

Coming soon to Seven, IRON CHEF AUSTRALIA is a Shine Australia production on behalf of RDF Rights, Keller Productions and Triage Entertainment. Iron Chef is a Fuji Creative Corporation Format.

IRON CHEF AUSTRALIA joins the stellar line-up of new Aussie shows coming soon to Seven, with THE X FACTOR launching this month; THE AMAZING RACE AUSTRALIA about to enter production; the new reality series FOUR WEDDINGS; the big variety arena show BEAT THE STAR; the Grand Finale of DANCING WITH THE STARS; and new episodes of the factual juggernauts BORDER SECURITY AND THE FORCE.