Once the stars of cooking shows and glossy cookbooks, celebrity chefs have evolved into culinary entrepreneurs, blending kitchen chops with marketing savvy. From signature sauces to pre-cooked pasta that practically flirts from the shelf, today’s food icons aren’t just feeding appetites—they’re shaping what we crave, how we shop, and how we cook, one branded product at a time.

For these chefs, launching a CPG brand feels like a natural evolution—allowing them to bring their culinary expertise into the kitchens of home cooks in a fresh, accessible way. Unlike many celebrity-led brands, these ventures feel more authentic, offering a genuine connection between chef and consumer. They serve as “cheat codes” for elevating everyday meals—transforming a simple dish into something special with a single sauce or seasoning.

As restaurant prices continue to rise, more people are cooking at home and looking for ways to make those meals more enjoyable and inspired. These chef-driven products help bridge the gap between fine dining and home cooking, enhancing flavor and texture while delivering a taste of restaurant-quality experience at home.

While the term “celebrity chef” is thrown around with ease these days, the idea itself isn’t new. Many credit Julia Child as the original food influencer. When The French Chef debuted on television in 1963, she brought the elegance of French cuisine into American homes and made beurre blanc as familiar as apple pie. Since then, the role of the chef has transformed—no longer just a teacher or entertainer, but often a fully-fledged lifestyle brand.

The 1993 launch of the Food Network marked a turning point. It introduced viewers to a new generation of culinary personalities, many of whom became household names. Some chefs built their reputations in the world of fine dining before bringing Michelin-level flavors to the masses. Others leveraged charisma and approachability to captivate home cooks. And with the rise of social media, a new era was born—where chefs became influencers and influencers became chefs, feeding a growing hunger for cultural exploration through food.

José Andrés is a prime example of this hybrid model. A Michelin-starred chef known for redefining Spanish cuisine and introducing tapas dining to the U.S., Andrés has also crafted a popular line of pantry staples—from tinned seafood to extra virgin olive oil—that reflects his philosophy of simplicity, quality, and tradition.

René Redzepi, the visionary behind Copenhagen’s famed Noma, takes a different route. Known for pioneering Nordic cuisine, Redzepi continues to innovate through Noma Projects, a culinary lab-turned-brand offering small-batch items like Corn Yuzu Hot Sauce and Mushroom Garam. Each product reflects the boundary-pushing spirit of the now-closed restaurant, making high-concept flavors a little more accessible.

Street food legend Roy Choi brings bold flavor and cultural mashups to the forefront. His Korean-Mexican taco truck, Kogi, helped spark the food truck revolution in the late 2000s. Today, Choi brings his signature style to home kitchens with Kogi sauces and Hi Note seasonings, capturing the vibrancy of L.A.’s culinary scene in a bottle.

David Chang, founder of the Momofuku empire, has redefined what it means to be a modern chef. With ventures spanning restaurants, TV shows, books, and podcasts, Chang has also created a dynamic line of products—noodles, sauces, and seasonings—that merge tradition with innovation and convenience.

But celebrity chefs don’t always emerge from the kitchen. Molly Baz, a former Bon Appétit food editor, has quickly built a cult following. She’s parlayed her bold, unfussy cooking style into two best-selling cookbooks, a Crate & Barrel collaboration, and now Ayoh! Foods—a line of punchy “sando sauces” flavored with ingredients like miso and giardiniera. She’s also launched a natural wine line, “Drink This Wine,” designed to pair effortlessly with her unapologetically fun food.

Then there are the unexpected stars—like Jing Gao, whose cult-favorite Fly By Jing chili crisp helped turn a once-niche condiment into a pantry staple. Her line of Sichuan-inspired sauces has brought heat and complexity to kitchens everywhere, and in doing so, made her a celebrity in her own right. What’s interesting about Jing Gao is that the success of her product line directly led to a cookbook deal—a reverse path compared to traditional chefs like the others mentioned above, who typically establish themselves through restaurants or media before launching products. Her cookbook gave consumers new ways to explore and enjoy chili crisp, building on the popularity of the product and deepening the brand’s connection with home cooks.

Matty Matheson is another example of a chef who is having his moment in the spotlight. Matheson is a Canadian chef who rose through Toronto’s culinary world, his charismatic personality landed him several shows on Vice TV and a huge following on his YouTube channel.  He has penned three bestselling cookbooks, and is a star and co-producer on the Emmy-winning show The Bear. He recently launched Matheson Food Company, offering pantry staples like BBQ sauce, dressings and boxed mac and cheese. Brands and fans are attracted to his raw authenticity and larger-than-life personality.

And of course, no conversation about culinary stardom is complete without Giada De Laurentiis. A Food Network icon, Emmy winner, restaurateur, and cookbook author, De Laurentiis has built a food empire with her Giadzy brand, offering a curated range of Italian pastas, sauces, and oils—all gluten-free and organic, with her signature stamp of elegance and accessibility.

In today’s ever-evolving food world, celebrity chefs are no longer confined to kitchen sets or white tablecloths—they are influencers, entrepreneurs, and cultural ambassadors. Publishers are now recognizing the value of creating cookbooks centered around trendy CPG products, showcasing all the creative ways they can be used. Whether their roots are in fine dining, food media, or viral videos, these culinary figures have built empires that blur the lines between entertainment, education, and commerce. As long as consumers keep seeking flavor, authenticity, and connection, the impact of these chefs will continue to expand—one delicious product at a time.