Young Newark Chefs Will Face Off On New Cooking Reality Show

NEWARK, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the Newark Public School District. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

It’s been said that a person who can’t take the heat should stay out of the kitchen.

Now, a group of students at Newark Vocational High School (NVHS)’s Culinary Arts Academy who can take the heat of competitive cooking are featured in Newark Chops, the new reality series to be released by Newark Public Schools.

Newark Chops is a three-episode series in which three teams of student chefs face off in competitive challenges to create dishes using specific ingredients in a limited time. The winning team will be awarded a prize worth more than $10,000.

The three episodes will be made available at https://www.nps.k12.nj.us/nwv/newark-chops/ on the following dates:

• Episode 1 – Tuesday, January 14th
• Episode 2 – Monday, January 27th
• Episode 3 – Monday, February 10th

CLICK HERE to see the trailer for Newark Chops.

In each of the episodes, the student chefs are evaluated by the following chef judges:

• Chef Kai Campbell, owner of The Yard restaurant in Newark, Facebook @Kai Campbell
• Chef Shaquay Peacock, a private chef and recipe developer, Facebook @ChefShaquay
• Chef Jesse Jones, a private chef and author of POW! My Life In 40 Feasts, Instagram @chef_jes1, Facebook @Chef Jesse Concepts, LLC

Chef John Calache, who teaches at NVHS’ Culinary Arts Academy, guides the student chefs as they work to meet each episode’s challenge. There are appearances by NVHS Principal Karisa Neis-Lopez and Superintendent León, who announces the winning student chefs in the final episode.

“This new reality series shows our students learning the true essence of teamwork,” said Superintendent León, who led the Culinary Arts Academy’s founding as part of the District’s historic 10-year strategic plan. “They are pushed to use their creativity, and their success depends on how well they work together. Newark Chops showcases our outstanding students, our dedicated teaching chefs, and our world-class culinary education program. I encourage everyone who wants to see what we do in Newark Public Schools to watch the program.”

“The Culinary Arts Academy is just one of the many Career Technical Education programs that make Newark Public Schools unique,” said Board of Education President Hasani K. Council. “All of us on the Newark Board of Education are immensely proud to see our students, staff, schools, and community highlighted in this innovative reality series, a testament to the dedication and excellence that define our district.”

The District commissioned FEMWORKS, a Newark-based communications agency, to create the Newark Chops series.

“Newark Chops is more than a cooking competition—it’s a testament to the creativity, resilience, and teamwork of Newark’s students. At FEMWORKS, we are proud to amplify their voices through storytelling that showcases the brilliance within our schools and our city,” said Kimberlee Williams, CEO of FEMWORKS. “In producing this series, we worked with local partners, including Cobblestone Multimedia and Newark Business Hub alumna LeRon Lee as director, to ensure this project truly reflects Newark’s vibrant community and talent.”

Newark Chops is the second reality series to be released by Newark Public Schools. In September, the District premiered Newark Fashion Forward, a reality series that featured three teams of student fashion designers.

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