Union members were protesting a decision not hire workers from one of the county's largest unions to drive cast and crew vehicles

TV crew working on the next season of Bravo’s Top Chef, including host Padma Lakhsmi, were subjected to a volley of racist, homophobic and sexist abuse from picketers affiliated with the Teamsters union during filming in Boston in June.

The union members were protesting a decision by the reality show’s producers Magical Elves to not hire workers from one of the county’s largest unions to drive cast and crew vehicles.

A dozen or so picketers from Boston’s Teamsters Local 25 picketed filming at the Steel & Rye restaurant in the New England town of Milton just outside Boston.

Top Chef host Padma Laksmi and other crew working on the Bravo show were subjected to a volley of racist, homophobic and sexist abuse from picketers affiliated with the Teamsters union during filming in Boston in June

A Top Chef crew-member told Deadline that everyone associated with filming – including Indian-born host and judge Padma - were subjected to vile abuse over a two week period.

When a car ferrying the 43-year-old beauty to the first day of the shoot pulled up outside the restaurant, one of the picketers ran up to her car and screamed, ‘We’re gonna bash that pretty face in, you f****** w****!’

‘She was scared,’ said the unnamed crew-member. ‘He was screaming at her aggressively and violently.’

‘As any employee of our show walked on or off set, the picketers verbally attacked us, calling the gays ‘f***,’ the blacks ‘n******’ and most of the women ‘s**** and w*****,’ the crew-member told Deadline.

A dozen or so picketers from Boston’s Teamsters Local 25 were angry that production company Magical Elves had decided not hire them to drive cast and crew vehicles

Padma, who is both host and judge on Top Chef, was said to be scared after she was confronted by Teamsters, stock image right, who screamed at her aggressively and violently

Police were called to the disturbance and immediately radioed for backup.

Milton’s Deputy Police Chief John King described the Teamsters as ‘hostile, swearing, and refusing to let people come in and out. Officers repeatedly tried to de-escalate the situation.’

As well as hurling abuse and being intimidating, the union members also slashed the tires on 14 different cars owned by the crew and many also had their antennae broken off, said King.

The employees were subject to further abuse for two whole weeks of filming, but no one was injured and no one was arrested.

The upcoming 12th season of the popular cooking contest starts on October 15.