Taylor Swift has managed to win over all of Chiefs Kingdom, from the players on the field to the staff working hard behind the scenes.
In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Kansas City Chiefs executive chef, Erin Wishon, gushed about what it’s been like having Swift, 35, around the team since she started dating Travis Kelce.
“You know what’s crazy? I cannot get over how authentic she is,” said Wishon, who works for the Chiefs through Aramark Sports + Entertainment. “We feed the team, we’re standing outside the locker room. We see everybody when they come down the hall to leave. I was just really taken aback at how kind and authentic she is. I mean, you don’t have to greet the food people, you know?”
Wishon added, “When somebody is like that, I think it’s really incredible.”
Swift herself has a notorious knack for all things culinary, especially her now-famous homemade Pop-Tarts, which have earned rave reviews from Kelce, 35.
“I have not had one of them and I’m extremely jealous because I adore her,” Wishon said with a laugh. “I have heard that they’re delicious. I’ve heard that she’s an excellent baker and an excellent cook.”
Wishon and Swift will both be in attendance at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on Sunday, February 9, when the Chiefs face the Philadelphia Eagles. Kansas City is seeking to become the first team in NFL history to win three Super Bowls, all of which have involved extensive preparations from Wishon and her team.
“We start planning ahead of the final game just because there is so much to do,” she explained. “You can’t possibly turn it around from the time you win [the AFC championship] to actually arriving [on site]. So we start planning ahead of time. Typically, we do the team feeding six to seven days a week through the entire season, so we already have a template that we follow to a point.”
She continued, “I’ll work with whatever the hotel menus are. I’ve learned that trying to do what they already do well instead of making everything custom works better for everyone.”
Aramark Sports + Entertainment, who employs Wishon, works with eight NFL teams in total to deliver “top-tier culinary experiences through an innovative and data-driven approach to menu development.”
Wishon compared each player and coach’s specific dietary preferences and requirements to a “rider,” similar to what a musician would use while on tour.
“Everybody’s got a little something different that they like,” Wishon explained. “The team is fantastic. Nobody is a princess. No one is high maintenance or anything like that. We know that they’re working a lot; they’re working really hard. The coaches just absolutely grind. The players, as well. They have other things to worry about.”
The Chiefs and Eagles meet Sunday, February 9 in Super Bowl LIX at 6:30 pm ET on Fox.
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