When Gail Simmons, Kristen Kish, and Tom Collichio wrap up a season of Bravo’s Top Chef, after having spent time filming and tasting lots of delicious food, one might wonder if they have any kind of special diet or eating regimen they go on post-filming. And, the answer is quite surprising.
The Daily Dish spoke to host and judge Kristen, longtime judge Gail, and head judge Tom earlier this season, around the Season 22 premiere, and they spilled all on the food they say they won’t eat once the cameras stop rolling and they get back home.
“I try not to eat candy for a week,” Kristen told The Daily Dish in an exclusive chat, to which Gail and Tom agreed during our conversation with them about that “one week” timeframe. Tom added, “Only because we eat copious amounts of candy on set.”
What food is on set during a Top Chef season?
So when it comes to their candy selection on set while filming, Gail shared she usually goes for “whatever Kristen gives us.”
Kristen further revealed that her choices include all sorts of flavors and textures, “just gummy, chewy, sour. Delicious things.”
How much do the Top Chef hosts eat while filming?Â
While the judges certainly consume a lot of plates during the filming of a season of Top Chef, they were quick to shut down any misconceptions viewers may have about how much they eat while filming. “We probably end up eating a lot less on the show than most people think,” Tom revealed. “We’re not eating full plates. Most of the portions are tasting portions, small portions. It’s not like we’re gorging ourselves.”
The Top Chef judges reveal their food philosophy
Gail added that because they’re professional cooks and food experts, eating is really a part of the job and their daily lives. “There is no shame in eating well and eating great food, in eating in moderation, in eating all things. None of us are spending time worrying about – let’s not say we don’t get full on set,” she said. “But we’re professionals at what we do, and eating is eating, and cooking and being around food is our life. It doesn’t just end when the show’s over, and so we all embrace it, I think.”
Kristen added, “Gail, you always say, ‘[the] best thing about being human is you get to have one meal and five hours later, you’re hungry again.'”
We feel that.
Speaking of Top Chef dishes, find out some of the best and worst the judges have eaten in past seasons.
-reporting by Stephanie GolmukaÂ
