Chef Jeremy Ford to Star in New TruTV Series, Fast Foodies

Jeremy Ford, Miami’s own Top Chef winner and chef/partner at Stubborn Seed, hits the small screen again when he stars in the new truTV show Fast Foodies, premiering today, February 4.

In Fast Foodies, Ford joins fellow Top Chef winner Kristen Kish and Iron Chef winner Justin Sutherland as they compete against each other in a cook-off to re-create a celebrity guest’s favorite fast-food dish.

Each episode features a different celebrity guest and their fast-food dish of choice from Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Domino's, McDonald’s, and more.

In the first round, the chefs will do their best to replicate the exact dish. Round two has them showing off their skills to put their own elevated spin on the dish for the championship.

Unlike Top Chef, where there's one winner per season, Fast Foodies awards a suitably low-budged "Chompionship" trophy each and every episode.

Ford tells New Times that shooting the show was the highlight of 2020 for him. "When I got the call to start filming, it was perfect timing, because we were just coming out of the major quarantine period and it gave me something useful to do. It was amazing to have the chance to connect with everyone and I’m so glad we got to do something like this."

When it comes to the celebrities, expect to see familiar faces like Joel McHale (Community), Kevin Hefferman & Steve Lemme (Tacoma FD and Super Troopers), James Van Der Beek (Dawson’s Creek), Andy Richter (Conan), Amanda Seales (Insecure), Ron Funches (Top Secret Videos), and Bobby Lee (Splitting Up Together), among others.

Ford says all the celebrities were awesome, but cooking for Kevin Hefferman and Steve Lemme was one of the biggest moments for him. "Watching stoner classics like Super Troopers is where my munchies-and-fast-food journey began," he says. "It was super nostalgic for me and one of my biggest home runs to get to cook for these rock stars that I grew up enjoying from my living room."
Though Miamians know Ford for his elevated cuisine, fast food has been a part of his life since his youth. These days he allows himself to splurge on chains no more than twice a week, and if the tables were turned, he'd want someone to re-create Popeye's chicken sandwich, which he claims is superior to all other fast-food chicken sandwiches.

Corie Hensen, executive vice president and head of unscripted programming for TBS, TNT, and truTV, says asking three top chefs to re-create fast food is the sort of programming we need during a global pandemic.

“This show is equal parts food, comedy, and raucous debauchery," Hensen says. "The stakes have never been lower, but it’s a blast to spend the night with Kristen, Jeremy, and Justin, and you’ll never look at your favorite fast food the same way again after seeing the works of art these three culinary geniuses are creating every week.”

Ford agrees.

"I think this is the ideal cooking show for 2021. After such a stressful year, we needed something that's not so serious. There’s nothing huge on the line with this competition. It’s a chill show you can watch to make you laugh — but then also you’re like: Wow, yeah, I’d definitely eat that."

If watching Ford gets you salivating, you can indulge in the pork ravioli dish featured on the first episode of Fast Foodies. The dish will be available at Stubborn Seed through February 10. More special dishes from the show will be offered throughout the season.

Fast Foodies. Thursdays at 10:30 p.m. on truTV, starting February 4.