Gordon Ramsay Searches for Next Celebrity Chef in Connecticut

MONROE, CT — Reasonable people may debate whether master chefs are born or made, but everyone agrees they first must be found. Gordon Ramsey and his cadre of celebrity cuisiniers could very well find the next Paul Prudhomme or Julia Child right here in Connecticut.

MasterChef Junior is on a nationwide search for the most talented amateur cooks in the country between ages 8 and 13.

The popular Fox television show, where kids compete in the kitchen, has opened its pre-registration online. Parents will need to fill out the form for their child, who must be at least 8 years old by April 1. Parents must also accompany their contestant at all times during any open call or audition.

Of all the applicants who apply nationwide, 24 are chosen to audition, and half of those will actually make it all the way to contestant status.

The seventh season of MasterChef Junior is scheduled to premiere on Feb. 9, with American chefs Christina Tosi and Aarón Sanchez joining Scot Gordon Ramsay as judges for the five-episode-long competition.

Connecticut has long loved its MasterChef. The show has run a branded camp for aspiring kitchen magicians, one of only five in the country, in Kent for the last couple of summers.