There's nothing like having your favorite comfort dish and having it recreated by a chef! The second season of TRU TV's Fast Foodies drops Jan 27th with Chef Kristen Kish (Bravo's Top Chef Season 10 Winner and chef/owner of Arlo Grey), Chef Justin Sutherland (Iron Chef America Winner, Top Chef Season 16 contestant and chef/owner of Handsome Hog) and Chef Jeremy Ford (Top Chef Season 13 Winner and chef/owner of Stubborn Seed and The Butchers Club). We catch up with the trio to talk about their latest season, what they're excited for and they give us the scoop on what they have in their kitchens for their Fast Foodies fix!
ATHLEISURE MAG: How excited are you for the second season of Fast Foodies?
CHEF JEREMY FORD: It’s so crazy how fast it goes by! You’re waiting, waiting, waiting for editing to be done and then you’re like it’s time to go!
AM: Do you know if the 3rd season has already been greenlit or are you keeping your fingers crossed?
CHEF JF: Fingers crossed for sure! I think that we have something pretty special.
AM: I love the concept, it’s really cool. Being someone that is also a stylist, I love anytime you have the opportunity to see people who are skilled at what they do in one way and how they want to pair it down for themselves when they’re just flowing. In our culinary podcast Athleisure Kitchen, we always like asking chefs what they really love to eat and what they like to do after a long day so it’s cool that you are sharing that with people and they are getting that insight!
CHEF JF: Yeah, I feel that the fancier the food that you do at work is the more simpler you want the food to be outside of it!
AM: Kristin how excited are you that the 2nd season is coming back?
CHEF KRISTEN KISH: Oh my gosh, I'm so excited I mean we’ve already filmed it obviously! It’s the anticipation of being able to have it out there and for everyone to see what we know is coming and that also is really exciting! I’m ready for it to be here and to just get it started!
AM: How is it with you guys because the 3 of you seem like the best of friends! So being able to just be on set together and doing what you love must be a lot of fun!
CHEF KK: Honestly, I knew of the guys and even in the first episode, first season, was like immediate chemistry and connection. They’re forever friends and they’re family at this point. It’s really cool to develop a friendship over a really cool work project!
AM: It’s so great to be able to chat with all 3 of you and before we delve into the 2nd season, what initially drew you to this show? We have 2 Top Chef winners and an Iron Chef winner – how did you guys combine your super powers to do this show?
CHEF JUSTIN SUTHERLAND: For me, I wanted to be able to do it because it was kind of the anti all the other shows that have been done. We have all done Top Chef, Iron Chef and different forms of competition or high stressed competitions that don’t really build friendships. Sometimes, they tear them apart. Especially at the time that we were filming season 1, we were beginning this pandemic and the world was just different and it felt like such a light hearted fun show without too much weight on it and just a way to just cook amazing food and to have fun.
CHEF KK: I think for me, the most exciting part is that once you hear the concept, you got the flights booked and then you’re ready to go because we all said yes – I still remember that first meeting because we all arrived separately – because it was very much COVID times. We got out and it was like, do we hug, do we high 5? I remember thinking, do we do this? Then we went into the kitchen and we just started cooking and for me, I hadn’t cooked in a long time like that in a chef inspired space with people around me because we were in lockdown. So that was the moment when I realized that my soul needed this.
CHEF JF: Yeah I mean, season 2 was funner because we knew what we were doing and I felt that I had a better grip on it. But yeah, getting that phone call and being able to cook with these 2 great chefs – I was super stoked to learn from them. That’s exactly what I got to do and we became friends and I was able to learn from them as well.
AM: For those that may not have seen the show yet, what’s the basic premise that they can expect from last season and this one as well?
CHEF KK: I feel like people are going to be excited. In season 1 we did 10 episodes and this season we’re coming back with a little bit more with 12. We’ve not only opened up the possibility of what fast food is whether it’s fast casual or perhaps places that you wouldn’t even associate with fast food and with that, it opens up with categories of guests not only from Oscar nominated writers and directors to comedians, athletes and SNL alums. We run the gamut of categories and variety.
AM: What has been your favorite part in being on this show especially in looking at the second season?
CHEF JS: I love meeting all of the celebrity guests that we have. Jessie Tyler Fergusson was on this year – he’s a riot! I think it’s getting to meet these folks that I have always been a huge fan of and then being able to cook for them is one of my favorite parts!
