Kitchen sabotage and petty competition make good food TV
Gail Simmons and Max Silvestri discuss their new show 'The Feed'
Chefs battling it out in the kitchen is old hat, with the 8,472 cooking competition shows out there.
“The Feed” is different. Part road show, part NYC food adventure, part talk show, this new series on the FYI network pits three foodies against each other in a variety of weird, creative challenges.
One the show’s three hosts, food writer Gail Simmons, told FOX411 her experience on other food shows has her prepared for one thing.
Duplicity.
“I’ve seen lots of sabotage. I’ve spent the last nine years of my life as a judge on 'Top Chef.' There’s a ton of sabotage that goes on and lots of heated competition,” Simmons said.
The show's second host -- food blogger and comedian Max Silvestri -- adds: “In any industry or world, there’s plenty of petty competitiveness. The world proves that petty competitiveness is a very effective tool.”
And the backstabbing isn't just happening in the kitchen, it happens among the various networks fighting for foodie fans' eyeballs, with copycat shows springing up everywhere.
“I think we’re getting more creative. This show (The Feed) does not rip much off. There’s a lot of places to see trained chefs compete against each other with a clock somewhere on site, and that’s very enjoyable,” said Silverstri. “This is a show that’s able to take the competition element but without it being just cutting and serving.”
In the last decade, because of successful food-oriented shows like "Top Chef," and "Iron Chef," cooks and critics have become celebrities in their own right.
“I’ve been working in the food industry for almost 20 years in various capacities, and never did I think that it was all going to be taken to television,” said Simmons. “I never thought if I was on television for food, it would end up being my career and ultimately, how I’m recognized on the street, or in the grocery store.”
"The Feed" premieres August 21 on FYI.
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