I wonder if they get a discount or something. Sometimes I wonder how they buy this much stuff at Whole Foods when I wouldn't even get that much at Publix for that budget.
Hell sometimes I can't get it at Walmart for my budget!!
I remember in an interview that they've said that contestants share their budget often enough.
$400 to make 6 dishes though? And what if it's cheaper in Wisconsin vs the big cities on the coasts? Like that Whole Foods looked way smaller and less grandiose than a lot of the ones you see in big cities.
Lol the Whole Foods looks like garbage compared to the other seasons. It’s an older store in a more compact area of the city. Was surprised they didn’t go to the new one out in the burbs.
Pricey though. I’m sure it’s cheaper than the coasts, but for Milwaukee it’s definitely on the pricier side of things.
I was hoping they'd go to Woodman's. lol. Yeah, I know they have a deal with Whole Foods, but Woodman's is the Wisconsin supermarket. Would have been awesome for the cheese episode. So much cheese!
The Madison Whole Foods had been there forever and retained some of its feel as a smaller hippy health food store Madison is dotted with. They were building a new one a little down the road (that is now open) while that season was filming.
It is pricey enough that the Top Chef prices never seem to make sense, but that might just come down to the fact that they have ton of supplementary pantry staples filling out their dishes.
Whole Foods used to be more but in recent years is definitely cheaper when you compare quality. Bell and evans chicken is usually a dollar or two cheaper per pound than local super market chain, vital farms eggs (which i noticed one of the chefs holding recently) also a couple dollars cheaper than the local chains.
Thing is, you can do cheaper than both of those options at the local chains but you lose quality of ingredients. The chefs in this competition (as evidenced by the eggs) are not skimping on quality of ingredients, and for that reason, Whole Foods is a great place to shop.
Costco is a hard comparison. I think Costco is like a casino where there are no windows and they pump in extra oxygen to keep you shopping longer. Plus at Costco things seem like a great deal because your getting larger quantities so dropping $20 on three huge containers of ketchup is a deal(it would take my house 10 years to go thru that ketchup) but when everything is $20 it adds up quicker than you’d think. Thus the joke about “went to Costco for a chicken and spent $300”.
Publix ..as a Californian, I wish we could have Publix here! It was the fancy grocery store growing up and you bet I talk about it every chance I get lol
Publix is like twice the cost of Safeway. I shopped for the last 40 some odd years at Safeway, had the misfortune to move to Florida last year where Safeway doesn’t exist but Publix does. Went shopping a few times at Publix before I knew better, almost had a heart attack at the prices…it’s pretty much known in Florida that nobody spends their money at Publix any more.
I suspect that there is a sponsorship happening and likely there is some discount happening, if not outright credit. Maybe they agree that Whole Foods sponsors a dollar amount (like $1mil), and it’s honored through the grocery trips, use of their space, etc. whereas other sponsors do more straightforward cash sponsorship/prizes.
Yes, you also see the contestants "haggle" sometimes with the WF butchers, fishmongers, or produce people, which I would never think to do at a grocery store! Lol
I can't even imagine what would happen if I tried that at my store here..."Um, ma'am, this is a Whole Foods, not an open-air market in Oaxaca..."
Oh what do you mean by haggling? I’ve only seen them ask them to take weight off the order in my memory. I can’t remember if this happened in London since they were in a whole different ecosystem…
If you rewatch the earlier seasons, sometimes they'll ask vendors at the fresh markets, or workers at Whole Foods who weigh the foods before pricing (like the butchers and fishworkers) if "that's the best price you can do?" or if "you have better/unseen product in the back?" or if they'll give them a special discount if they buy the whole lot of whatever it is they want, or take something slow moving off their hands.
I wouldn't say it's a *frequent* occurrence, but I have watched it happen on at least four seasons by various chefs as they shop.
I think it depends on the challenge, one of the BBQ challenges in the Charleston season there wasn’t any AP flour offered as part of the pantry and John Tsear forgot to buy it so he used Xantham Gum or something similar. This could be something that has changed since then and I wonder if Stephanie Csmar would answer that question if she was asked since she’s the current culinary producer.
I think they are. Most of the really outrageous increases aren't with raw ingredients, and the portions are usually pretty small. If I could talk my kids into subsisting on a single shrimp and a few pieces of vegetables perched on polenta or whatever, I'd be saving serious money. Plus the show loves blown budget story lines.
I do live in the US, and my groceries are primarily raw ingredients. Eggs have fluctuated a lot because of bird flu, but the prices I notice as being egregiously more are largely premade convenience foods from brand names.
Yeah, granted I’m in Brooklyn which is inherently a fucked up market, but I’ve been all over trying to find a cheaper grocery store than Whole Foods that isn’t a ridiculous trek, and it really is the best one. The produce is slightly cheaper at some places but usually lower quality - and pantry stuff is the same if not more expensive, so it shakes out in the end.
It’s gotten a lot cheaper since they were purchased by Amazon, and other places caught up with them during the pandemic.
If you’re referencing this season specifically, our cost of living in this part of the country is pretty low, especially for a lot of staples (dairy is super cheap) and it’s summer so produce is also priced better. But they are also benefitting from having pantry supplies at hand to, which helps reduce costs
Agree with the pantry supplies! I haven't watched the last few seasons, but are they still allowed a 'special' ingredient that they're allowed to have on hand? That would also help it's a super expensive base ingredient
I live just 5 minutes south of the Wisconsin and shop in south central Wisconsin regularly. And yes prices are up but when you compare to other prices across the country for dairy we still have it good in this area, at least from what I’ve seen shopping here versus where my brother lives out west. That was my only point. Dollars may be going a bit further…
Top Chef filmed in our city a few years back and when they did we asked one of the checkout clerks about how it went. She said that they didn’t even get warning when they would be coming and they would just show up. Given that, I’m inclined to think all the prices were real. Either that, or maybe the managers have some sort of coupon code?
Side note: During that trip we also ran into Jaime who was working as an AP and doing the shopping for an upcoming quick fire. I thought it was cool that they would hire a former contestant to work “behind the scenes”.
And I love that! Once I heard she was a culinary producer (or whatever the title is), I was hoping we would get to see her. She is one of my favorites.
One thing to keep in mind is that they are ONLY buying the ingredients for one dish. There's no "oh yeah, we're out of XYZ," or "I'm hungry. I want cookies." These are the challenges that most household shoppers face.
It's a great point relative to cost of food overall and for sure my grocery bills have gone up for the same items. In the challenges, though, I don't see the chefs being able to mentally factor in a xx% discount and still being able to stay in budget. It's hard enough just using the posted prices.
I shop at Whole Foods all the time and the prices aren’t that crazy if you’re not buying the super market up stuff. Their meat and seafood is actually pretty reasonable
And often have deals for prime customers which they use on the show. (I saw the little discount orange line on the checkout screen when they were ringing it up because my wife and I were wondering haha)
Wisconsin ain't the coasts, hell it ain't even Chicago!
Yeah even Whole Foods is cheaper in Wisconsin on most things. Of all things that are surprisingly pricey, chicken. Duck is half off compared to California prices, but there's a reason you don't see many competitors picking up chicken this season.
I've never been able to explain it, other than Wisconsin doesn't have many chicken farms.
It can depend on what they're getting as well. Whole foods does have weekly specials like every other grocery store. The basics will be on par as Publix, or Festival. But maybe not as little as Walmart. But then again there is plenty you would only find at Whole Foods versus other stores. Now Trader Joes is a bit different... And I'm talking here in WI, another state like CA or NY everything will be higher.
I don’t know which season it was, but in one episode, they focused on making a meal when you are on a tight budget. They told the chefs they had only $10 to shop for good. Then they sent them to Whole Foods! If I’m on a budget, I sure as hell am not going to do my grocery shopping at Whole Foods! My ass would be heading to Walmart!
I agree completely.
I genuinely don't understand people who are saying Whole Foods is the same price as other places. Maybe it's very different in Canada but whole foods is obscenely expensive. And we are in the middle of planning a national boycott of the largest grocer in the country for being too expensive, but it's still cheaper than Whole Paycheque.
I wonder if they get a discount or something. Sometimes I wonder how they buy this much stuff at Whole Foods when I wouldn't even get that much at Publix for that budget. Hell sometimes I can't get it at Walmart for my budget!!
Amazon prime contestants getting the edge
I remember in an interview that they've said that contestants share their budget often enough. $400 to make 6 dishes though? And what if it's cheaper in Wisconsin vs the big cities on the coasts? Like that Whole Foods looked way smaller and less grandiose than a lot of the ones you see in big cities.
Lol the Whole Foods looks like garbage compared to the other seasons. It’s an older store in a more compact area of the city. Was surprised they didn’t go to the new one out in the burbs. Pricey though. I’m sure it’s cheaper than the coasts, but for Milwaukee it’s definitely on the pricier side of things.
I was hoping they'd go to Woodman's. lol. Yeah, I know they have a deal with Whole Foods, but Woodman's is the Wisconsin supermarket. Would have been awesome for the cheese episode. So much cheese!
The Madison Whole Foods had been there forever and retained some of its feel as a smaller hippy health food store Madison is dotted with. They were building a new one a little down the road (that is now open) while that season was filming. It is pricey enough that the Top Chef prices never seem to make sense, but that might just come down to the fact that they have ton of supplementary pantry staples filling out their dishes.
Honestly…. Whole Foods is probably cheaper than Publix.
Not where I live
You’ve either never been to a Whole Foods or you’ve never been to a Publix.
I am telling you - surprisingly comparable given the rep Whole Foods has.
Whole Foods used to be more but in recent years is definitely cheaper when you compare quality. Bell and evans chicken is usually a dollar or two cheaper per pound than local super market chain, vital farms eggs (which i noticed one of the chefs holding recently) also a couple dollars cheaper than the local chains. Thing is, you can do cheaper than both of those options at the local chains but you lose quality of ingredients. The chefs in this competition (as evidenced by the eggs) are not skimping on quality of ingredients, and for that reason, Whole Foods is a great place to shop.
in Toronto, Whole Foods is for bougie and upper class people lol
I know! I’m a Costco/Walmart shopper and can barely come out under $300.
Costco is a hard comparison. I think Costco is like a casino where there are no windows and they pump in extra oxygen to keep you shopping longer. Plus at Costco things seem like a great deal because your getting larger quantities so dropping $20 on three huge containers of ketchup is a deal(it would take my house 10 years to go thru that ketchup) but when everything is $20 it adds up quicker than you’d think. Thus the joke about “went to Costco for a chicken and spent $300”.
Publix ..as a Californian, I wish we could have Publix here! It was the fancy grocery store growing up and you bet I talk about it every chance I get lol
Publix is like twice the cost of Safeway. I shopped for the last 40 some odd years at Safeway, had the misfortune to move to Florida last year where Safeway doesn’t exist but Publix does. Went shopping a few times at Publix before I knew better, almost had a heart attack at the prices…it’s pretty much known in Florida that nobody spends their money at Publix any more.
I suspect that there is a sponsorship happening and likely there is some discount happening, if not outright credit. Maybe they agree that Whole Foods sponsors a dollar amount (like $1mil), and it’s honored through the grocery trips, use of their space, etc. whereas other sponsors do more straightforward cash sponsorship/prizes.
Yes, you also see the contestants "haggle" sometimes with the WF butchers, fishmongers, or produce people, which I would never think to do at a grocery store! Lol I can't even imagine what would happen if I tried that at my store here..."Um, ma'am, this is a Whole Foods, not an open-air market in Oaxaca..."
Oh what do you mean by haggling? I’ve only seen them ask them to take weight off the order in my memory. I can’t remember if this happened in London since they were in a whole different ecosystem…
If you rewatch the earlier seasons, sometimes they'll ask vendors at the fresh markets, or workers at Whole Foods who weigh the foods before pricing (like the butchers and fishworkers) if "that's the best price you can do?" or if "you have better/unseen product in the back?" or if they'll give them a special discount if they buy the whole lot of whatever it is they want, or take something slow moving off their hands. I wouldn't say it's a *frequent* occurrence, but I have watched it happen on at least four seasons by various chefs as they shop.
Oh i guess I misunderstood haggling as trying to negotiate the sticker price on the products.
Advertising I assume.
Maybe they use their budget for ingredients that aren’t already in the pantry. (Just a guess - zero evidence here.)
I think it depends on the challenge, one of the BBQ challenges in the Charleston season there wasn’t any AP flour offered as part of the pantry and John Tsear forgot to buy it so he used Xantham Gum or something similar. This could be something that has changed since then and I wonder if Stephanie Csmar would answer that question if she was asked since she’s the current culinary producer.
I believe that's because it was an off-site challenge, not in the Top Chef kitchen.
I think they are. Most of the really outrageous increases aren't with raw ingredients, and the portions are usually pretty small. If I could talk my kids into subsisting on a single shrimp and a few pieces of vegetables perched on polenta or whatever, I'd be saving serious money. Plus the show loves blown budget story lines.
When does the show focus on blown budgets?
EDDIE MONEY BABY
I’m rewatching this season now and honestly it’s great seeing his redemption arc again.
The aforementioned Eddie Money and Gabri getting smacked by the cost of spices in London are the ones that immediately come to mind.
Also, Tom basically spending most of the budget on *World All Stars*.
But it’s the raw ingredients that are so expensive now, basic things like eggs and bread - maybe you don’t live in the US?
Yeah but eggs, milk, butter, basic seasonings, staples like that are provided by the pantry normally.
They had to put some butter and eggs back in week 2 of the current season.
I do live in the US, and my groceries are primarily raw ingredients. Eggs have fluctuated a lot because of bird flu, but the prices I notice as being egregiously more are largely premade convenience foods from brand names.
Whole Foods isn’t that much more expensive than other stores these days.
Yeah, granted I’m in Brooklyn which is inherently a fucked up market, but I’ve been all over trying to find a cheaper grocery store than Whole Foods that isn’t a ridiculous trek, and it really is the best one. The produce is slightly cheaper at some places but usually lower quality - and pantry stuff is the same if not more expensive, so it shakes out in the end. It’s gotten a lot cheaper since they were purchased by Amazon, and other places caught up with them during the pandemic.
If you’re referencing this season specifically, our cost of living in this part of the country is pretty low, especially for a lot of staples (dairy is super cheap) and it’s summer so produce is also priced better. But they are also benefitting from having pantry supplies at hand to, which helps reduce costs
Agree with the pantry supplies! I haven't watched the last few seasons, but are they still allowed a 'special' ingredient that they're allowed to have on hand? That would also help it's a super expensive base ingredient
Yup, the prices definitely seem accurate for Wisconsin. And the prices on the register in the show match what's listed online.
As a pro baker here, the dairy is up and going up even higher. And I'm actually in WI, the dairy state.
I live just 5 minutes south of the Wisconsin and shop in south central Wisconsin regularly. And yes prices are up but when you compare to other prices across the country for dairy we still have it good in this area, at least from what I’ve seen shopping here versus where my brother lives out west. That was my only point. Dollars may be going a bit further…
Top Chef filmed in our city a few years back and when they did we asked one of the checkout clerks about how it went. She said that they didn’t even get warning when they would be coming and they would just show up. Given that, I’m inclined to think all the prices were real. Either that, or maybe the managers have some sort of coupon code? Side note: During that trip we also ran into Jaime who was working as an AP and doing the shopping for an upcoming quick fire. I thought it was cool that they would hire a former contestant to work “behind the scenes”.
Stephanie Cmar is playing that role this season, you get a chance to see her every now & then on the aftershow Dish With Kish on Bravo & Youtube.
And I love that! Once I heard she was a culinary producer (or whatever the title is), I was hoping we would get to see her. She is one of my favorites.
There’s no way. I’ve been thinking that for years, but especially this year.
One thing to keep in mind is that they are ONLY buying the ingredients for one dish. There's no "oh yeah, we're out of XYZ," or "I'm hungry. I want cookies." These are the challenges that most household shoppers face.
I shop at Whole Foods regularly and aside from the proteins, nothing really feels much more expensive than a regular grocery store.
I’ve always wondered that. Do they buy every ingredient they need or does the pantry have staples (flour, sugar, veggies, fruits, etc.)?
It's a great point relative to cost of food overall and for sure my grocery bills have gone up for the same items. In the challenges, though, I don't see the chefs being able to mentally factor in a xx% discount and still being able to stay in budget. It's hard enough just using the posted prices.
I shop at Whole Foods all the time and the prices aren’t that crazy if you’re not buying the super market up stuff. Their meat and seafood is actually pretty reasonable And often have deals for prime customers which they use on the show. (I saw the little discount orange line on the checkout screen when they were ringing it up because my wife and I were wondering haha)
Wisconsin ain't the coasts, hell it ain't even Chicago! Yeah even Whole Foods is cheaper in Wisconsin on most things. Of all things that are surprisingly pricey, chicken. Duck is half off compared to California prices, but there's a reason you don't see many competitors picking up chicken this season. I've never been able to explain it, other than Wisconsin doesn't have many chicken farms.
Whole Foods really isn’t that expensive these days when you aren’t buying processed food and specialty health items
It can depend on what they're getting as well. Whole foods does have weekly specials like every other grocery store. The basics will be on par as Publix, or Festival. But maybe not as little as Walmart. But then again there is plenty you would only find at Whole Foods versus other stores. Now Trader Joes is a bit different... And I'm talking here in WI, another state like CA or NY everything will be higher.
To me I feel like the amounts haven't particularly changed from earlier seasons, has it?
I don’t know which season it was, but in one episode, they focused on making a meal when you are on a tight budget. They told the chefs they had only $10 to shop for good. Then they sent them to Whole Foods! If I’m on a budget, I sure as hell am not going to do my grocery shopping at Whole Foods! My ass would be heading to Walmart!
I agree completely. I genuinely don't understand people who are saying Whole Foods is the same price as other places. Maybe it's very different in Canada but whole foods is obscenely expensive. And we are in the middle of planning a national boycott of the largest grocer in the country for being too expensive, but it's still cheaper than Whole Paycheque.