Travis Kelce has been very open about his food preferences, from his game day “lucky breakfast” of French toast and strawberries to his regular visits to Kansas City BBQ joints to revealing on the New Heights podcast, that he hosts with his brother Jason, his favorite foods that include those from Waffle House and Burger King.
Now he is partnering exclusively with Walmart to bring Travis Kelce’s Kitchen line of refrigerated BBQ-inspired meals to shoppers.
Since joining the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013 it seems like Kansas City BBQ has ranked among his favorites. It’s high in protein and tasty. His childhood friend and now personal chef Kumar Ferguson’s objective is to feed his friend foods for fuel, comfort, hydration, and nutrition and BBQ (along with other foods) seems to fit the bill.
Kansas City’s BBQ roots can be traced back to the early 20th century when Henry Perry, known as the “father of Kansas City BBQ,” began selling smoked meats from a cart in the Garment District. His operation eventually moved to a permanent location, becoming the city’s first BBQ restaurant. Unlike other barbecue traditions that may focus on a single meat (e.g., Texas with beef brisket), Kansas City BBQ is known for its diverse range of smoked meats, including pork, beef, chicken, and even fish.
The Sauce
One of the most distinctive features of Kansas City BBQ is its sauce. It’s typically thick, tomato-based, and both sweet and tangy, often made with molasses and brown sugar. This sauce is liberally applied to the smoked meats. When we scour the supermarket aisles we find tons of Kansas City BBQ sauces from restaurants: Gate’s BBQ, Arthur Bryant’s, Joe’s Kansas City (BTW Travis Kelce’s favorite – more on him in a bit), Fiorello’s Jack Stack, Burnt Finger and brands like Cowtown and of course KC Masterpiece which was originally founded in Kansas City but not associated with any restaurant.
Henry Perry’s pioneering establishment led many other BBQ joints to open, and Kansas City soon became a major hub for barbecue enthusiasts. The American Royal World Series of Barbecue, hosted annually in Kansas City, is the world’s largest BBQ competition. It attracts teams from around the world and has been instrumental in promoting the city’s BBQ culture. While Kansas City BBQ has deep-rooted traditions, many modern chefs and pit masters have introduced innovative techniques and flavors. Today we even find dishes that incorporate global flavors while maintaining the essence of traditional BBQ.
The Media Figure
Travis Kelce, now known as the guy who’s become a multimedia sensation for his football prowess, as well as dating Taylor Swift, has decided he wants to join the ranks of Paul Newman, Emeril, Cher (gelato), Snoop Dogg (breakfast foods), Martha Stewart (delivery prepared foods) and even Cardi B (Whip Shots – alcohol infused whipped creams) and has entered the retail grocery world with a new line of refrigerated entrees inspired by Kansas City’s most iconic flavors.
His food pedigree was established this past April when Kelce hosted and curated Kelce Jam, a food and music festival that highlighted the best food vendors in Kansas City, and of course a special from his go-to BBQ restaurant – Joe’s Kansas City BBQ.
But just putting the name and face of a celebrity on foods does not guarantee success. Try to find Phyllis Diller Chili, Bing Crosby Ice Cream, Dennis Rodman lollipops, or even Frank Sinatra on your local supermarket shelves. (To be fair, you can buy a 1991 bottle of Frank Sinatra’s sauce on eBay for $69.99 – but unlike a fine wine, I’m not sure jarred sauce improves with age!).
Kelce’s refrigerated entrees, which retail at $8.17 and $12.78 depending on the variety, seem to be much more than a celebrity endorsement. The new line features seven dishes, including:
Bacon Mac & Cheese which happens to be a Kansas City classic – jumbo macaroni noodles coated in a decadent cheddar cheese sauce infused with bacon morsels.
Brisket Burnt Ends & BBQ Sauce – cuts of beef slow-cooked, caramelized, and topped with a signature Kansas City BBQ sauce.
BBQ Baked Beans with Burnt Ends – baked black beans and white kidney beans, topped with brown sugar, bacon and onions, are paired with seasoned beef brisket burnt ends.
Brisket Burnt Ends with Mac & Cheese – a combination of jumbo macaroni in a cheddar cheese sauce, complemented with charred and seasoned beef brisket burnt ends,
Sliced Brisket in BBQ Sauce – brisket infused with the rich and smoky aroma of Kansas City-style BBQ sauce. BBQ
Baked Beans with Sausage – baked black beans and white kidney beans are enhanced with a smoky barbecue flavor, sweetened with brown sugar, and enriched with bacon and aromatic onions, complemented by tender pork sausage.
Sausage and Meatball Marinara with Peppers and Onions – sliced pork sausage with cheesy pork and beef meatballs in a marinara sauce sautéed with bell peppers and onions.
I haven’t tasted the entrees yet, so I can’t comment on the foods themselves, but based on what I’ve seen this is a brilliant move by Walmart! If Walmart promotes Kelce’s entrees properly, we can only imagine the new Swift-obsessed coming into Walmart – perhaps for the first time. Just look at the current fervor over the Swift/Kelce romance and watching what it’s done to the attendance and viewership of Kelce’s games – not to mention the viewership spike for SNL’s guest appearances.
With any great food product introduction, there are always concerns. Here’s the problem as I see it and the potential downside: Kelce, the athlete, has been very upfront and public about his diet regimen consisting of steaks, chops, and chicken; a perfect fit with BBQ. Kelce even told the Food Network that Ferguson has helped him keep on the right path by eating 3 fresh a day (the perfect link to selling Travis Kelce’s Kitchen meals in the refrigerated section). Ferguson, he says, has helped him in nutrition and being able to eat better, cleaner, and the right ingredients. That’s where the recipes might need a bit of a tweak to be more aligned and authentic with Travis’ own diet.
The Mac & Cheese back panel shows that 1 serving, which is half of the 16 oz. package contains 350 calories, which aligns perfectly with today’s market needs with 18 grams of fat, 1130 mg of sodium, and 32 grams of carbs. The good news is that this entree also has 13 grams of protein and no added sugars. I wish the entrée’s recipe stuck closer to Travis’ diet and nutritional regimen and cleaned up the ingredients; especially as they’ve put his photo on the back of the package! If they do that – this brand could be as powerful as he is!
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