Local Chef Georgeann Leaming is featured on a new cooking competition show called Man vs. Master hosted by Celebrity Chef Richard Blais. She is no stranger to cooking competition shows. She’s competed on Food Network’s Chopped twice and became a Chopped Champion.

Most recently, she was Chef de Cuisine at R2L in Liberty Two which recently closed for good due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Before that, she was an Executive Chef at Gordon Ramsay Steak in Atlantic City and operated two very successful restaurants in Philadelphia (Suppa in Northern Liberties and Samwich in Queen Village).

The premise of the new cooking competition show is chefs who compete for an apprenticeship with a celebrity chef at one of their restaurants. Three unknown chefs go head-to-head in challenges related to the master chef’s specialty; after two rounds, only one chef remains to face the culinary icon in a third and final challenge.

On the first episode in which Chef Georgeann (they spelled her name wrong!) appears, the featured Master Chef is Art Smith – former personal chef of Oprah Winfrey and owner of a small restaurant empire. You’ll have to watch to see what happens. Here’s a link to the episode on Hulu.

I reached out to ask Chef Georgeann about the new TV experience and see what she is up to these days.

Philly Grub: How was it being on Man vs. Master?

Georgeann Leaming (GL): It was awesome meeting Art Smith! And since I am a Top Chef fan, I really enjoyed meeting Richard Blais.

PG: So you’re not working right now thanks to the pandemic. Any opportunities on the horizon?

GL: Since R2L closed, I have been looking at other opportunities, such as consulting for restaurants, but nothing is decided yet.

PG: How are you passing the time?

GL: I started doing some food photography, which I have really enjoyed as I have been doing a lot of recipe testing. This has not only given me great items to photograph but to eat as well. Quarantine cooking at its best. (You can find some of her recipes on Chefcipes.com)

PG: It must feel strange having so much free time!

GL: As chefs, sometimes it’s so hard to fit in learning/testing new menu items/techniques so it has been nice to have that chance.

PG: What would you like to do in the future?

GL: Everything is just so up in the air with COVID. Who knows… maybe I’ll look at doing another competition show!

Catch Chef Georgeann on Man vs. Master. We wish her the best of luck.