Cheftestant (chef contestant)

“Cheftestant” was coined in 2006 by recapper Keckler of the blog ‘Television Without Pity,” referring to the chef contestants of the Bravo television channel cooking show Top Chef. Top Chef filmed in New York City in 2008 and the term “cheftestant” was widely used.
 
The word “cheftestapant” (chef + contestant + participant) is a newer term to describe the same person.
 
     
Urban Dictionary
cheftestant
Competitor on a cooking show. Coined by recapper Keckler on televisionwithoutpity.com, it is the combination of the words “chef” and “contestant.” Inspired by Bravo channel’s “Top Chef.”
“The cheftestants of Season 2 of Top Chef were pretty weak.
by missmez Jun 21, 2007
 
Wikipedia: Top Chef
Top Chef is an American reality competition show that airs on the cable television network Bravo, in which chefs compete against each other in weekly challenges. They are judged by a panel of professional chefs and other notables from the food and wine industry with one or more contestants eliminated each week. The show is produced by Magical Elves Productions, the same company that created Project Runway.
 
Two spinoffs extending the Top Chef brand are planned: Bravo has ordered Top Chef Junior, featuring contestants in their early teens; a second spinoff under development will be called Top Chef: Masters, featuring “some of the brightest stars in the world of food, award-winning, widely-renowned chefs,” according to Bravo’s press release.
         
Television Without Pity - Top Chef
Jicama Dickama Dock
By Keckler | Season 1 | Episode 5 | Aired on 2006.04.05
Back at the house, the cheftestants play. 
 
Food Media - CHOW
September 01, 2006 // Food Media
Top Chef Preps for Season Two
After the savory success of last season, it is no surprise that Bravo moved their second season premiere date from March to October as well as upping their mince-meatable cheftestant count from twelve to fifteen. Just who will the cheftestants be?
 
21 December 2006, Kansas City (MO) Star, pg. 5:
“TOP CHEF”: Love the show, starting to hate both Cheftestant (credit televisionwithoutpity.com for that) Sam and head judge Tom Colicchio. 

Food Jargon Watch
Friday, February 02, 2007
Food Jargon of the Day: Cheftestant
Heather Havrilesky’s term for contestants on culinary-related reality shows such as Top Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, and Iron Chef.
Posted by Laura at 9:06 AM
     
Ted Allen’s Blog - Top Chef
mcgjgl wrote:
“Another aside: Props to Amuse-Biatch.com for coining “cheftestant.” Or was it BloggingTopChef.com? I love ya both, possums!”
Actually, I think you should give thanks to keckler at televisionwithoutpity.com for coining “cheftestant” in her awesome recaps of this show.
posted on August 1, 2007 at 11:56 PM
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Bill Monte wrote:
Well, it was Keckler on TWOP who actually coined that word, “cheftestant.” Please give her some credit.
posted on August 2, 2007 at 5:00 AM
 
Gothamist.com
October 1, 2008
Top Chef: New York Revealed, Meet the Cheftestants!