If you’ve been around Kosher.com long enough, you probably remember the original Food Fight from 2018. It’s still one of our most-watched series ever, so bringing it back felt obvious but we didn’t want to simply repeat it. We wanted Food Fight 2.0 to be bigger, funnier, louder, and a whole lot more chaotic… in the best way.

Behind the scenes, our team has been living and breathing this project since February. (Yes, February.) Months of planning calls, spreadsheets, Zoom meetings, and more spreadsheets. Every detail was thought through and then re-thought through.

So for those asking, “Where’s the next episode?” (which we always love hearing!), know this: we’re always working on it.

Let’s take a look at what it takes to make a show like Food Fight happen. 

The Casting

We began by putting out a casting call, searching for talented home cooks with interesting backgrounds and a passion for food. After narrowing the contenders down, and conducting numerous interviews over Zoom, we carefully selected our contestants, seeking a diverse group that would bring unique perspectives to the competition.

The Scheduling

Want to know the most underrated part of it all? Getting everyone in one room. With our contestants' busy schedules (working moms!), finding a filming date that worked for everyone was a logistical nightmare. We finally settled on two full days in June, with months of preparation leading up to the actual filming. Our team worked tirelessly to coordinate schedules, find a suitable filming space, and negotiate with vendors. Our graphics team got to work on the Food Fight logo and then proceeded to brand everything - aprons, cutting boards, towels, signage, shopping carts, etc.

The Filming

What does a shoot day look like? Well, the size of our production team alone consists of multiple producers, five cameramen, sound guys, production assistants, set designers, and many helpers on hand. Big shout out to our incredible executive producer Ruchie Scharf!

The production team rolls in at 8:00 a.m. and starts setting up equipment. Makeup gets done, there’s lots of drinking coffee and waiting around. There are multiple takes when filming (but not the challenges - those were timed and had to be filmed on take one!), and even though we’re surrounded by food, we still need to order lunch because a well-fed crew performs best!

The Details

For Round One, our team had to literally stock up a grocery store’s worth of food for our contestants to “shop” in, and then lay out everything so it worked practically and aesthetically. There were many more grocery runs to fill in basics and specialty items. For example, if someone used up all the lemons in Round One, someone’s gotta go shopping for more before Round Two starts.

Different contestants requested different ingredients and kitchen tools that were a must for them in the kitchen. Loads of equipment, boxes, and shelving had to be shipped to the film location (which took many hours and truckloads).

For Round Two, the winner of the first challenge receives a special assistant in the second challenge. Initially, we had a family member of each contestant on standby in case they were the winner of Round One. That proved to be a bit complicated, and in the end, we brought on a very special surprise guest for a real surprise factor!

The Unexpected

Equipment can fail. The oven’s not preheating fast enough, someone’s KitchenAid is stalling, and kitchen supplies get lost in the shuffle. The first day of filming was a pretty warm day in June. The AC was struggling, and we had multiple ovens and stovetops blasting for hours. Add the pressure of the competition and that room felt like a sauna! Despite the heat, everyone kept at it.

Despite meticulous planning, unexpected issues will always crop up, forcing us to think on our feet and adjust our plans accordingly. With six challenges initially planned, we ultimately had to condense the competition into five due to time constraints.

Naomi Nachman came to film some BTS and rapid-fire questions with our contestants, which added more energy to the set.

Oh, and did we mention that Bassie got a huge migraine while filming?!

After an exhausting film day, we filmed exit interviews with our contestants so we could hear more about their thought process, deliberations, frustrations, and triumphs in the kitchen.

The Editing

The editing process is where hours of footage are distilled into bite-sized episodes. It’s a daunting task that requires patience, creativity, and attention to detail. With eight camera angles and over 25 audio tracks to sync and work with, the editor's job is to weave together a narrative that’s engaging and entertaining to watch. Add music, sound effects, and countless revisions, and you get an idea of the scope of work involved.

We hope this behind-the-scenes look has given you a glimpse, and an appreciation, into the making of our Food Fight Competition. We’re passionate about bringing you the best culinary competition series possible, and we’re excited to share more with you in the coming episodes!

And trust us… it’s gonna be GOOD.