San Diego Chef to Compete on Newest Season of 'Chopped Castaways'
San Diego chefs have been appearing on national food TV shows for more than a decade, steadily building the city’s profile in the culinary spotlight. The latest to join that roster is Aidan Owens, Culinary Director at Herb & Wood and Herb & Sea, who will appear in “Chopped Castaways” premiering May 12, 2026, continuing a trend where San Diego is represented across competition shows and documentary series.
Owens is one of 12 chefs from around the country selected for the competition, which adds a survival element to the culinary challenges as it takes place on a remote tropical island. According to the Food Network, competitors need to build a working kitchen from basic supplies, earn ingredient baskets through intense physical challenges and cook over open fire.
Originally from Australia, Owens grew up on a small farm near Byron Bay, where he and his mother raised chickens and ducks, and grew vegetables which they sold at farmers markets. He later moved to San Diego and sharpened his culinary skills at some of the city's most popular restaurants, including Kettner Exchange and Trust. He’s an advocate for sourcing from local fishers, farmers and food purveyors , and features these ingredients prominently on the menus at Herb & Wood and Herb & Sea.
“I am proud to represent San Diego. This city has shaped the way I cook, and most of my career has been built here,” Owens said. “The culinary scene is evolving fast, and it is cool to be part of that momentum. Being on a national stage is a chance to show a different side of San Diego.”
Herb & Wood and Herb & Sea are part of the Puffer Malarkey Collective of restaurants, helmed by local celebrity chef Brian Malarkey. Malarkey first gained national attention on “Top Chef,” is a frequent judge and contestant on “Guy’s Grocery Games” and “Tournament of Champions,” and the host of “Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out.” Through his restaurants, he is helping shape the next generation of culinary leaders in San Diego. Chefs within the Puffer Malarkey Collective have developed distinct reputations of their own, such as three-time James Beard Award nominee Tara Monsod, executive chef at Animae and Le Coq.
“From the beginning, my goal was to build restaurants that act as incubators, spaces where chefs can take risks, grow and find their voice,” Malarkey said.
Malarkey said seeing Owens step onto the national stage for his first televised cooking competition felt “a little like watching your kid ride a bike for the first time — except the pressure is real. These chefs put in the work and earn every bit of it, and seeing them shine on that kind of stage is fun,” he said. As a TV veteran, Malarkey said the advice he gave Owens was to “lean into what he knows, trust his instincts, and not try to outsmart the moment. Cook your food and have fun.”
Owens is now part of an established group of San Diego chefs and culinary figures who have appeared on national food television over the past decade.
That group includes Clement Le Deore, pastry chef and owner of Desserts by Clement, who recently finished “The Ultimate Baking Championship Series” as a finalist. Richard Blais, co-host of “Next Level Chef” and Culinary Director for VIP Dining at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, is cooking at a fundraiser on May 11 at The Rady Shell, featuring a multi-course dinner paired with a live performance by the San Diego Symphony. “Top Chef” alum Claudette Zepeda, a San Diego local, is debuting her first cookbook, “Cooking the Borderlands: Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States,” with Artelexia in North Park hosting a book signing on June 26. Local fisherman and sustainable seafood advocate Tommy Gomes, founder of TunaVille Market in Point Loma, is set to star in Season 6 of “The Fishmonger,” premiering June 8 on the Outdoor Channel.
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