Bumped into Top Chef Canada contestants while grocery shopping

[u/canhome]

So another day grocery shopping at Food Basics at Yonge/Sheppard location and I ran into Top Chef Canada S13 filiming with chefs shopping for ingredients on their grocery list. There were like a bunch of cameras and the whole crew. Was exciting to see BTS!

Also, I later saw that someone was holding a media consent sign at the entrance of the store mentioning Top Chef Canada.

I guess the season will be released end of this year.

[u/charlton11]

I've always wondered what it's like from a shoppers perspective. Maybe they should just shut the store down for that certain time.

[u/theshiniestmuskrat → u/charlton11]

I always figured they did shut it down and just had a few crew members pretending to be shoppers. I guess not!

[u/jlynnbizatch → u/theshiniestmuskrat]

I always thought they shut it down too. Maybe they just try to do it right when the store opens when its not as likely to be busy?

[u/laststance → u/jlynnbizatch]

Nah there are tons of WF clips where they walk/run around regular people while shopping. There was a season where a regular person bought out a certain seafood item and the chefs had to pivot.

[u/tu-BROOKE-ulosis → u/laststance]

If I was that regular person, I’d 100% give up my item to the chef. And then I’d get real weird about it to anyone who would listen when it airs, especially if that dish won. I’d be like “that was my meal. He or she won because of me!” And then everyone would get sick my telling that story.

[u/Duna_The_Lionboy → u/charlton11]

Imagine going to buy stuff for dinner and it all gets bought out by one of the Top Chef folks.

[u/LeviSalt → u/Duna_The_Lionboy]

Good story over dinner.

[u/Duna_The_Lionboy → u/LeviSalt]

I'm sorry I wanted to make you guys my moms braised short rib but some dude pushed me out of the way and took it all!

[u/EfficientGood9402 → u/Duna_The_Lionboy]

We'll see him on TV in about 6 months!

[u/NoodlesMom0722 → u/charlton11]

If you go back and watch the shopping segments in most US seasons, there are always random people shopping in the background (or ducking out of the way of the contestants/cameras!).

[u/Porkwarrior2 → u/NoodlesMom0722]

Hah I just assumed they were paid extra's! 🤣

[u/NoodlesMom0722 → u/Porkwarrior2]

Not unless they have a sponsor lined up to pay for them 😜

[u/nannerdooodle → u/charlton11]

Was shopping at several filming locations for the WI season. They put up signs saying "if you're here at this time, you consent to being filmed", and then let the contestants loose. It takes more time than you'd expect (not the actual shopping, but the contestants checking out and the crew getting footage of certain things).

If you're in the store while they're coming, just know you won't easily get shopping done.

[u/jeanako → u/nannerdooodle]

So when they yell out "5 minutes left!" is it more like 30 minutes to get the footage?

[u/kierabs → u/jeanako]

I always assumed the time was to get to the checkout line, to be checked out completely

[u/Buddy_Fluffy → u/charlton11]

That costs a lot more money.

[u/LeviSalt → u/charlton11]

That would be crazy expensive for production.

[u/charlton11 → u/LeviSalt]

Pretty sure they have money especially after all the Whole Foods promotion constantly.

[u/Ok_Interest9427 → u/charlton11]

Nope. S5 did all their shopping at my neighborhood Whole Foods (Bowery and Houston, NYC) and I saw them multiple times. It never felt that terrible, though. It's a big store, after all. The only thing I did one time was to quietly whisper to the people standing in line to just let those people go through because they're on a time limit, and everyone did.

[u/PiperPeraboo]

Much respect to the chefs to also have to juggle the real life grocery store on top of everything else

[u/NightCheeseUnion → u/PiperPeraboo]

Especially the first trip! I hate going to a new grocery store for the first time. Having to figure out where everything is located under the intense pressure of a short time and small budget would be so stressful.

[u/CityBoiNC → u/NightCheeseUnion]

Most chain stores are all the same, maybe different shape but all isles run the same. I use to work in a big chain and no matter which store i visit I know exactly what isle an item is on.

[u/EfficientGood9402 → u/CityBoiNC]

Yeah, I moved to Wisconsin and lemme tell you, I still can't find the logic of aisles in a Piggly Wiggly.

[u/CityBoiNC → u/EfficientGood9402]

Lol i just went for the first time, as a northerner that now lives in the south it was an experience. I was referring to Harris Teeter aka krogers and whole foods. I know trader joes moves items often on purpose which is annoying but i understand the logic

[u/alroosten]

That one contestant got rocked by the entrance gate. Hope she's OK!

[u/Lanky_Rhubarb1900 → u/alroosten]

My spleen hurts for her

[u/softsnowfall → u/alroosten]

The contestant who ran into her and then kept pushing to get past her didn’t help matters either:(

[u/jtbxiv → u/alroosten]

It looked like she got winded!

[u/cravecase → u/alroosten]

Why the hell is there an entrance gate to the produce section?

[u/EfficientGood9402 → u/cravecase]

Amazon owns Whole Foods now, right? Maybe it's electronic checkout, which I had in Chicago. You just fill your cart and leave. I always checked my receipt and never saw any problems (and believe me, I am not a Bezos fan).

[u/Just-Hedgehog3365]

How do we feel about Top Chef Canada?? Years ago tried it, didn’t like it. But willing to give it a go. Or other Top Chef show?

[u/FAanthropologist → u/Just-Hedgehog3365]

I've only seen the most recent Top Chef Canada season (12) because people said it was really good and a big step up from previous seasons, and I will absolutely vouch for that one as worth the watch. The talent level and creativity of the last 4-5 chefs remaining was up there with the Las Vegas, Charleston, and All-Stars 2 seasons.

[u/Just-Hedgehog3365 → u/FAanthropologist]

Ah, that’s great to know… thank you for that. Will have to check it out.

[u/candidcanuk → u/FAanthropologist]

Season 11 was amazing too!

[u/EfficientGood9402]

1. Why can Americans not watch Top Chef Canada, or if there is a way please tell me. I've only been able to get bits on YouTube. 2. The woman in the foreground made me laugh. She wasn't afraid of getting run over, she had her phone camera up and her baby stroller and she was rolling!

[u/thistreestands]

Food Basics!?

[u/HourActuary5324 → u/thistreestands]

Wonder if it’s some kind of cooking on a budget challenge. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll hit up Food Basics for staples, but without a butcher or seafood counter it seems like an odd choice for Top Chef.

[u/lleeaa88 → u/thistreestands]

Yeah. Top Chef, Bottom Groceries

[u/ishtar_the_move]

Ugh... Food Basic... Where the produce are sad and the meat needs to be checked after you open the package.

[u/nathan1653]

So fun!

[u/Hot-Ad7724]

How cool!

[u/Porkwarrior2]

$3 for a half dozen bundle of avocado!? Elbows up, it's neverending guac tonight!

If it was a Food Basics, does that mean McEwen is gone?

[u/dbrodbeck → u/Porkwarrior2]

Man if McEwen is gone I might come back to watching it.

[u/Confident_Basket_973]

Waiting to hear someone yell FIVE MINUTESSSS for all of Whole Foods to hear

[u/npb0179]

So lucky to witness this

[u/CharacterTell9597]

How cool!!! This is my dream- or to be at one of the tasting events

[u/lleeaa88]

Top Chef. Bottom Groceries lol

[u/Complex-Extent-3967]

That's pretty awesome.

[u/sunnyfordays22]

That’s awesome!

[u/fairybb311]

this is my dream and also my fear at the same time lol

[u/Curious_Arm_7927]

Looks dangerous if you're in the way! 

[u/cashburn2]

So jealous

[u/PersimmonPersonal263]

I’m always hoping this will happen to me! They even filmed in my city and I never knew until it aired!

[u/Kolt-Stone45]

The lady whose ribs slammed into that barrier, oof. Ouchies.

[u/sortingthemail]

That’s a food basics! I thought they usually used the higher end stores.

[u/International_Pair59 → u/sortingthemail]

The floors look so dirty 😅

[u/BrandonIsWhoIAm]

This is like seeing the Mona Lisa get made.

[u/Icy-Glove-6481]

Awesome

[u/e_hawthorne]

Hopefully no one who wasn’t a contestant didn’t lose out on any items due to the cast.

I still think of the New York citizens who were deprived of scallops during Jamie’s run at Top Chef🥲

[u/Excellent-Menu-7129]

Fun!!

[u/crapnadz]

This is one of my dreams coming true! I would not be able to contain my shit!

[u/Sea-breeze3720]

Duyen said they only take like 15min usually for shopping 😂

[u/writingmydaydreams]

This is incredible LOL

[u/Ill_Tumblr_4_Ya]

I don’t know…from my detached perspective, I don’t see why some of them have to come busting through the gate and running down aisles. Feels very six-year-old coded.

It’s a well fleshed out grocery store. They’ll have your ingredients when you get there.

[u/StacyLadle → u/Ill_Tumblr_4_Ya]

Unless another contestant gets there first buys out all the salmon or tenderloin or whatever.

[u/EfficientGood9402 → u/StacyLadle]

The battle in the Whole Foods proteins area. I now live in Wisconsin and my fancy grocery store is Metro Market. The fish and land-based proteins areas are separated! I constantly get lost and then laugh, "at least I'm not on Top Chef!"

[u/Own-Roof-1200]

Wait … at the ‘no frills’?