It may be called “Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars,” but it was Lisa Vanderpump who owned the Fox competition when a contestant from her team of mentees won the second season on Thursday’s finale.
In a two-hour episode that ended with finalists Jess Druey (Team Vanderpump), Roman Desmond (Team Vanderpump) and Ali Schlichter (Team Ramsay) giving dueling presentations in a bid to win the $250,000 grand prize for their respective businesses in the food and beverage space. And then it was up to Ramsay and the “Vanderpump Rules” star and prolific restauranteur, who joined Ramsay as his co-host/rival mentor, for Season 2, to come to an agreement and decide which competitor won — and which of them won by association.
“I know it cuts him deeply, the fact that I won,” Vanderpump told Variety . “But I think the whole point in the last episode is when we really do come together and say, competition aside, who wins? I think it was difficult, because the growth was all in Ali in that last episode. It was incredible. And Roman, for somebody so young. They were all great. But I said, I think I know who our winner is. And as much as it kind of stuck in his throat, he had to admit it — Jess was our girl and I won. And I love winning in that way. He’s not used to losing. So if he’s going to lose, he should lose to me. And I did remind him of that right from the beginning.”
The ultimate winner: Druey, whose company Whiny Baby sells “high quality, small batched, accessible and chill-able wines produced for wine drinkers of all levels,” with playful names like the “Unwind” White Blend, “OMG?!? Fizzy Rosé, and “Obsessed” Red Blend. The wines are sourced from vineyards in California and made by the McBride Sisters Wine Company.
“The caliber of talent competing on ‘Food Stars’ this season was truly exceptional. Following weeks of intense competition, only one contender could take the ‘Food Stars’ crown,” Ramsay said. “I’m delighted to name Whiny Baby founder, Jess Druey as our winner. Less thrilling was Lisa getting her first ‘Food Star,’ giving her ego yet another pump. However, I do feel I actually scored the biggest win for recognizing Lisa’s incredible talent and bringing her many qualities to the show.”
What ultimately led them to pick Druey over her finalist competitors?
“She presented very well, that was really her strength,” Vanderpump said. “She’s a very natural speaker. And some of the other contestants we saw had a lot of trouble with that. The only time we saw — I didn’t doubt her, but we saw her out of her wheelhouse when we had the exhibition and she cut her finger, and she said, ‘I can’t do this,’ and she started to cry. I was like, ‘Whoa, come on, let’s get it together.’ And she really did rise to the challenge and was very secure with her a product.”
As for Drury, she remember that specific “Food Stars” Season 2 moment all too well, and says it was what motivated her toward the finish line.
“Definitely the finger slicing,” Druey said. “I think you can tell throughout the competition, I was so happy to be on Lisa’s team, but I think it ignited a fire in me to prove Gordon wrong the whole time. And to prove I could hold my own in the food space. And the first opportunity I had to do that was at the trade show and I felt like I failed miserably. It came out okay in the presentation, but in that finger-slice moment, I really thought, OK, this could be it for me.”
With the $250,000 grand prize, Druey’s plans to expand Whiny Baby are already underway.
“The wine industry is so outdated and complicated and there’s a lot of different layers to it,” she said. “And obviously, people buy wine in these traditional grocery stores. And the whole setup of the wine industry makes it really hard for innovation and new people, which is probably why we don’t see it. And so going into the show, I’m fortunate enough to be on major store shelves like Target, Gopuff, Total Wine and more, but only in four states. And since the show, we’ve added it an additional about 20 states in Total Wine, which is insane and a total dream come true. And so just working away to get the awareness out there and hopefully get Whiny Baby on all major store shelves in every state.”
See Druey’s winning moment from the “Food Stars” Season 2 finale winner below.
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