Celebrity chef and television personality Ranveer Brar says decades of working in high-intensity professional kitchens have made him unusually resilient to stress — a quality that has served him well both on and off camera, including on his new quiz show 'Yess Chef', which has been drawing strong audience response since its launch.

The Kitchen as a Pressure School

Speaking during promotions for 'Yess Chef' in the Andheri West area of Mumbai, Brar explained that the chaos of a professional kitchen is, in many ways, the ultimate training ground for composure. 'As chefs, we get used to it. Our environment is a pressure cooker environment,' he said. He recalled that fellow contestants on the reality show 'The Traitors' were visibly surprised by his calm demeanour, asking how he could remain composed while others were emotional. His answer was simple: when 600 cooks are simultaneously rushing around a large kitchen, the head chef cannot afford to join the frenzy. 'If we also start running with them, then there will be no work,' he said.

Brar added that a critical part of managing pressure is accepting the limits of one's own control. 'After a point in time, you realise that you are not in control — that's how much you feel. When you leave the control, then the pressure goes,' he explained.

Lessons from His Ustaad

Brar credited his mentor — whom he referred to affectionately as his Ustad ji — with shaping his foundational philosophy on stress. According to Brar, his Ustad taught him that food, at its core, is like fire: one merely assists the process rather than commands it. 'If you make yourself bigger in relation to fire and food, then you unnecessarily put pressure on yourself. So, the biggest pressure is the pressure of expectations,' he said, paraphrasing the lesson. He distilled it further: 'When we make ourselves bigger in our mind — if we keep ourselves small in our mind, then there is no pressure.'

His Advice on Food Safety and Fresh Produce

Beyond the mental game, Brar has also been vocal about everyday food choices. He has previously advocated for shopping at local vegetable markets rather than relying on quick-commerce apps, arguing that proximity to fresh produce changes one's relationship with food quality. 'I believe that first of all, do your own shopping from local markets. That is very important if we talk about freshness,' he said. He noted that the rise of 10-minute delivery apps has significantly altered the culture of visiting vegetable markets. 'When you see fresh vegetables on the whole cart, you understand the value of fresh food. Even if you get a small packet of cabbage, you don't enjoy it,' he added.

About 'Yess Chef'

The quiz show 'Yess Chef', anchored by Brar, blends culinary knowledge with competitive gameplay and has reportedly been receiving positive feedback from viewers. The show adds to Brar's expanding presence in Indian entertainment, where he has combined his professional culinary background with screen visibility across cooking shows, reality formats, and brand collaborations. With 'Yess Chef' gaining traction, Brar appears set to consolidate his position as one of Indian television's most recognisable food personalities.