LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vkind Studios announced today that its cutting-edge, all-vegan cooking competition reality show titled PEELED™ will debut on September 24th with a Red-Carpet Premiere at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) in Los Angeles. The star-studded event, which includes the debut screening followed by a cocktail reception with Hors d’ Oeuvres prepared by PEELED’s chef contestants, will also stream live to online audiences across multiple platforms. PEELED is making television history with its all-vegan cast cooking up compassion to raise money for worthy causes. Four talented chef contestants also compete to win a stay at Mother Earth Vegan Hotel in Costa Rica and the winner’s dessert dish will appear on the menu of select locations at Copper Branch, the largest international vegan restaurant chain.
The synergy between hosts Dr. Shabnam Islam and well-known vegan health and fitness icon Chef Babette Davis keeps audiences engaged and the chefs on their toes. Each new challenge features competitive elements seen for the first time on the big screen in the culinary space. Chefs race against the clock to impress discerning vegan judges and avoid being “Peeled into the compost.” In the end, only one contestant can take home the title of “Hottest Vegan Chef.”
Created by long-time vegan advocate and Vkind founder Star Simmons, PEELED was conceived to satiate demand for cooking shows that feature the innovative plant-based alternatives that have transformed culinary arts in recent years. Simmons’ vision for the show sparked the interest of Chef Josie Clemens, whose experience being the first vegan chef to compete in the hit series “Hell’s Kitchen” influenced her decision to join forces with Simmons as co-creator of PEELED.
“Some of the best chefs I know happen to be vegan and, while they are every bit as talented as some of the most celebrated chefs in conventional culinary arts, they have fewer opportunities to advance in the industry,” said Chef Josie, who also joined the show’s cast to lead the all-star panel of vegan judges. “With an estimated 40% of the population now embracing flexitarian diets, interest in vegan cuisine is at an all-time high,” Clemens explained.
While audiences interested in plant-based cooking are rapidly-growing, PEELED creators realized a shortage of programming in the reality cooking show genre for compassionate chefs to reach them. This show’s all-vegan concept is unique and among the first to satisfy the rising demand for vegan entertainment.
“As a vegan and a foodie, I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with cooking shows,” said Vkind Founder and PEELED creator, Star Simmons. “PEELED allows those interested in the lifestyle to explore the joys of vegan culinary arts.”
Although plant-based cuisine is occasionally featured in certain episodes of some cooking competition shows, only one competition-formatted reality show featuring exclusively plant-based cooking has been announced thus far.
However, PEELED, which commenced development in the fall of 2021 and completed filming a three-episode limited series this past spring, is the first and only exclusively plant-based competition-formatted cooking show with all-vegan celebrity hosts, judges, contestants, and even vegan sponsors such as Melt Organic.
In fact, all of the show’s production team members at Vkind Studios are vegan, including the producers, writers, directors and production crew.
“Plant-based culinary arts deserve a place at the table in the popular cooking competition genre, which is why I was delighted to learn about a network pickup of another plant-based cooking show, even if its cast isn’t entirely vegan,” Simmons said. “It is great news that major networks and streaming platforms are finally seeing the value of programming for audiences interested in exploring this lifestyle. But I’m proud that we were the first, and I look forward to seeing more vegan programming in the future.”
PEELED™ will make its debut on Saturday, September 24th at 6:00 p.m. with a Red Carpet Premiere taking place in Los Angeles, CA at the Director’s Guild of America, which is located at 7920 Sunset Blvd. A limited number of tickets will be available for purchase to the general public with a portion of proceeds supporting worthy charities.
Premiere guests will be immersed in a sensory experience: see, smell, taste and feel the energy behind Peeled. Guests will enjoy beer, wine, spirits and Hors d’ Oeuvres crafted by PEELED’s chef contestants themselves and can meet and greet with the cast.
Doors open at 4 p.m. for chef-curated bites with PEELED airing at 6 p.m. The show will stream simultaneously online and launch 24 hours post-premiere on Unchained TV, which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and Apple TV. More information about the show, premiere and streaming event can be found at peeledshow.com.
