MILWAUKEE — A culinary coup of sorts will bring the upcoming season of Bravo’s hit show “Top Chef” not to New York City or Los Angeles or Chicago, but to explore and highlight the burgeoning culinary bounty of the Badger State.
“We have always known that Wisconsin’s culinary heritage is exceptional,” said Wisconsin Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers. “So it was our job to make sure the producers at ‘Top Chef’ and the folks at Bravo knew that as well, so we invited them to come in and take a look at our state and they were simply blown away.”
Unlike some previous seasons of the show where production primarily focuses on what takes place solely in the kitchen, it’s likely that Wisconsin’s farmers and growers will share at least some of the spotlight this time around.
“We’re just as excited as they are,” Sayers said. “They know we are a top producer of dairy, cheese, beer, wine, spirits, even ginseng and cranberries — we have so much to offer in the culinary realm, and we have been doing so much to elevate and promote and talk about and share who we are as a culinary state, so they’re really excited to tell that story.”
Production for Season 21 of “Top Chef” is expected to begin later this summer or early this fall in Wisconsin, with episodes set to air in 2024.
Watch the full interview above.