When “Chopped Castaways” premieres May 12 on Food Network, Boynton Beach chef Hannah Flora will compete in what is essentially “Survivor” meets “Chopped.”
The eight-episode series strands 12 chefs on a secret Caribbean island where they must earn ingredients through physical challenges and cook entirely over open fire without modern kitchen equipment.
Hosted by longtime Food Network fixture Ted Allen, the show reimagines the familiar competition by layering survival skills onto culinary technique. Judges Maneet Chauhan, Marcus Samuelsson and Gabe Bertaccini decide who advances and who is sent home as chefs battle the elements, exhaustion and one another for a $100,000 grand prize.
Cooking without a kitchen
Unlike traditional “Chopped” episodes, “Castaways” strips away nearly every modern convenience. There are no stocked pantries, no ovens and no gas burners. Contestants must first secure ingredients through physical challenges before attempting to cook them using fire they build themselves.
For Flora, that meant leaning on fundamentals rather than equipment.
“You don’t have any tools,” she said. “It really opens your eyes to how dependent we are on technology in everyday kitchens.”
Physical challenges set the tone
Each episode opens with survival-driven challenges like archery, spearfishing, ocean diving or digging in the sand. The outcome determines which ingredients chefs can access for the first round of cooking.
Those challenges proved to be among the most demanding parts of filming, Flora said, pushing contestants well outside the rhythms of normal kitchen service.
“You really had to test your limits every morning,” she said. “If you’re going to do it, you have to give everything.”
The season begins as a team competition before shifting into an individual battle, raising the stakes as the chefs fight to stay on the island.
A different kind of competition
Although only one chef ultimately wins, Flora said the island environment fostered camaraderie among competitors.
“We were all very different chefs with different strengths,” she said. “But on the island, everybody is equal. You have your hands, fire, your head and your creativity.”
That dynamic, she said, made the experience collaborative even as the competition intensified.
From country clubs to a deserted island
Flora brings nearly 20 years of private-club experience to the show. She began her career at The Everglades Club in Palm Beach, working seasonally between South Florida and Martha’s Vineyard.
In 2018, she became executive chef at Mizner Country Club in Delray Beach and later served as executive chef at Addison Reserve Country Club before transitioning into private culinary consulting in late 2025.
She has been named to Club + Resort Chef magazine’s ’40 Under 40′ list and featured in BoardRoom Magazine and Golf Kitchen as part of a new generation of private-club chefs.
A return to competitive cooking
“Chopped Castaways” isn’t Flora’s first foray into televised competition. She previously appeared on Season 23 of Gordon Ramsay’s “Hell’s Kitchen” on FOX, finishing as runner-up in a season limited to head chefs.
Filming on an island provided a stark contrast.
“On ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ you’re in a dark kitchen being yelled at every day,” she said. “Here, you’re outside in the sunshine, but you have nothing.”
Both formats, she said, demand resilience but in very different ways.
For Flora, the decision to say yes came down to the challenge itself.
“It combines grit, athleticism and cooking,” she said. “That’s what makes it different.”
“Chopped Castaways” airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Food Network, with episodes streaming the following day on HBO Max. Additional content, including previews and behind-the-scenes features, are available through Food Network’s digital platforms.
Diana Biederman is the Palm Beach Post’s food and dining reporter. Connect via dbiederman@pbpost.com. Subscribe today and sign up for our free At the Table weekly newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County chef joins Food Network’s new “Chopped Castaways”
Reporting by Diana Biederman, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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