MONTREAL - Montreal chef Chuck Hughes's career continues to heat up.
After recently beating culinary master Bobby Flay on "Iron Chef America," the host of "Chuck's Day Off" is set to compete for a permanent spot on the series.
Food Network says the Garde Manger co-owner is among 10 contestants chosen for the upcoming season of "The Next Iron Chef" series, in which cooks compete for a resident role on "Iron Chef America."
He'll go up against an elite roster of chefs, including well-known Food Network personalities Alex Guarnaschelli, Robert Irvine and Anne Burrell, who has been Iron Chef Mario Batali's sous chef on "Iron Chef America."
Also on the bill is Michael Chiarello, Elizabeth Faulkner, Spike Mendelsohn, Beau MacMillan, Marcus Samuelsson and Geoffrey Zakarian.
Judges include the original "Next Iron Chef," Michael Symon, food journalist Simon Majumdar and U.K. Iron Chef Judy Joo.
Season 4 of "The Next Iron Chef" will have eight episodes and will shoot in Los Angeles and New York.
It's slated to debut Oct. 30 in the U.S. with Alton Brown as host.
Hughes beat Flay on "Iron Chef America" in an episode that was taped last summer and aired last month on Food Network Canada.
His win, which was achieved using the secret ingredient of lobster, made him just the second Canadian chef to emerge victorious in Kitchen Stadium.
He was also the first Canadian to beat the illustrious Flay and the youngest Canuck and first Quebec chef to compete on the show.
