SBS has announced a brand new food series for weeknights at 6pm, The Chefs’ Line, premiering Monday 3 April. The series will explore the heritage, history and diversity that drives Australia’s food culture, with home cooks challenging an entire chefs’ line from some of the best restaurants across the country.

The series will be presented by SBS’s resident food expert Maeve O’Meara. The dishes will be judged by three of Australia’s hottest culinary stars; Executive Chef Dan Hong, renowned chef Mark Olive and leading food writer Melissa Leong.

Each week, The Chefs’ Line will celebrate a different cuisine and a new chefs’ line will represent their restaurant. The home cooks must earn their stripes and cook their way up the ranks of the chefs’ line. We’ll see passion and personality go into every plate they produce and witness not just competition, but camaraderie as the home cooks learn and laugh with the professional chefs.

Marshall Heald, director of television and online content at SBS, said: “We’re taking the popular competition cooking format and breathing new life into it with a classic SBS multicultural spin – going beyond the professional vs home cook dynamic and focusing on unique cuisines, their history, specialties and the people behind them.

“By focusing on a different cuisine each week, The Chefs’ Line will shine a light on the multicultural appeal of Australia’s diverse food culture.”

In the ultimate food fight, four home cooks go up against the apprentice chef every Monday night. The home cooks with the best three plates on the pass progress through to the next night. On Tuesday, home cooks have moved a step up the chefs’ line and cook against the station chef. Wednesdays is always the penultimate battle; home cooks take on the sous chef. Thursday night is the final night of the competition; the best home cook faces-off against the restaurant’s head chef in the ultimate David vs Goliath battle.

In a special episode each Friday, Maeve O’Meara gives a guided tour of the featured restaurant, the chefs share stories from the week and tantalise with delicious recipes.

Created and produced by Eureka Productions, The Chefs’ Line is an original Australian format.