Exhaust system for a cooking appliance

A cooking appliance comprising:

• a cooking compartment that defines a cooking cavity;
• and
• an exhaust system comprising:
• an exhaust duct for receiving exhaust gas from the cooking cavity and discharging the exhaust gas to an ambient atmosphere,
• a cooling duct for supplying ambient air to the cooking cavity or the exhaust duct, and
• a valve assembly configured to regulate airflow from cooling duct into the cooking cavity or the exhaust duct, wherein the valve assembly is operable between a first configuration that allows ambient air within the cooling duct to bypass the cooking cavity and flow into the exhaust duct, and a second configuration that allows ambient air within the cooling duct to flow into the cooking cavity.