FOOD NETWORK LAUNCHES CHEFS' BIG BREAK ON "CHEF HUNTER"

Culinary Recruiter Carrie McCully Hunts For The Best Chefs Across the Country

Series Premieres Thursday, November 10th at 10pm ET/PT

NEW YORK, NY - October 10, 2011 - Food Network raises the real-life stakes in its newest series Chef Hunter premiering Thursday, November 10th at 10pm ET/PT. In this new six episode docu-reality series, culinary recruiter Carrie McCully provides a few promising out-of-work chefs the opportunity to audition for a coveted Executive Chef position in some of the top restaurants around the country. In each episode the select chefs are put to the ultimate test as the restaurant's general manager and owner challenge the chefs' culinary skill, business acumen and tenacity required to be an Executive Chef. The chosen chefs then experience the most pressure-filled night of their lives, as they get the chance to run the restaurant for the night. For one Chef, getting the job could change their own fate and the fortunes of a top restaurant.

"Chef Hunter shows a side of the restaurant industry that people rarely see," said Bob Tuschman, General Manager and Senior Vice President, Programming and Production for Food Network. "The series gives you an insider look at the stress, drama, creativity and broad skills involved in overseeing the daily operations of a top restaurant kitchen."

In the season premiere, the general manager of an acclaimed restaurant in Los Angeles calls on Chef Hunter Carrie McCully to fill the executive chef position that recently became available, to keep the reputation that the restaurant has worked hard to earn. After looking at hundreds of applicants, the search has narrowed to the restaurant's top three candidates. After a quick face-to-face meeting, each of the chefs is asked to create one original appetizer as well as a signature hamburger for the menu. Appetizers are one of the most profitable items on the menu, so as the chefs put their unique spin on these dishes, they must keep food costs in mind. After the chefs present their dishes, he decides that one chef is not the right fit for his restaurant. The remaining two chefs are handed the keys to the restaurant for one night as they are given the task to create their own menu, work with the staff, and serve a packed house of the restaurant's best customers. After a night of enduring the pressure of running the kitchen and interacting with customers, Carrie and the general manager evaluate the finalists, with one chef earning the title of Executive Chef at the exclusive restaurant.

Carrie McCully is the Principal for Force of Nature Media, a boutique-consulting firm that specializes in recruiting and placement for culinary professionals in the United States. Carrie found her niche fifteen years ago in New York City when friends who owned restaurants and clubs began asking for advice about server's uniforms, designs, menus, marketing and help with finding new talented chefs from her vast network of connections. Soon she realized that her passion for fine food, design and thinking outside the box, along with her innate skill of balancing tradition with foreseeable trends, would be her career calling. Over the years Carrie has had the privilege of working with some stellar forces including Alain Ducasse, Terrance Brennan, Martha Stewart, Alison Price Becker, The Museum of Modern Art, and Kathryn Bigelow, among others.

Chef Hunter is produced by Smart Dog/Valencia Productions LLC.

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FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers' best friend in food and is committed to leading by teaching, inspiring and empowering through its talent and expertise. Food Network is distributed to more than 100 million U.S. households and averages more than 9.9 million unique web users monthly. Since launching in 2009, Food Network Magazine has tripled its rate base and delivers a circulation of 1.3 million. Headquartered in New York, Food Network has a growing international presence with programming in more than 150 countries, including 24 hour networks in Great Britain, India, Asia and Africa. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), which also owns and operates Cooking Channel (www.cookingchanneltv.com), DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Great American Country (www.gactv.com), HGTV (www.hgtv.com), and Travel Channel (www.travelchannel.com), is the manager and general partner.