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Aug 24, 2023

'Top Chef' crew spotted at the Dane County Farmers' Market

Photo director The producers of the Bravo reality cooking competition "Top Chef" announced in July that Wisconsin would play host to the show's 21st season. The show is now making its presence known

Photo director

The producers of the Bravo reality cooking competition "Top Chef" announced in July that Wisconsin would play host to the show's 21st season.

The show is now making its presence known in Madison.

On Saturday morning, camera crews could be seen hustling around the Dane County Farmers' Market, following "cheftestants" (the TV series' competing chefs whose names have not been announced) as they sprinted to gather ingredients.

Production crew members had gone around the Capitol Square ahead of them, marking with green tape which booths had agreed to be filmed, and signs posted near the market notified shoppers about the filming. Filming related to the show also appeared to have taken place Friday at the Whole Foods grocery store on University Avenue.

Because this is a reality competition show, "Top Chef" producers are protective of the identities of the competing chefs prior to the airing of episodes. The Cap Times has agreed to honor their wishes, so we are obscuring the chefs' faces when they appear in photos before episodes air.

Details about locations, challenges, guest judges and competitors are not set to be released until early 2024, with the show likely kicking off in March.

This is just a small taste of the action — an amuse bouche? — until we can share more.

Film crews get into place to film "Top Chef" contestants shopping for ingredients at the Dane County Farmers' Market.

Tom Colicchio, a judge on "Top Chef," leaves the Park Hotel to get coffee at Wonderstate on Saturday morning. Season 21 of "Top Chef" is filming in Wisconsin.

"Top Chef" contestants race to shop for ingredients at the Dane County Farmers' Market on the Capitol Square.

"Top Chef" contestants race to shop for ingredients at the Dane County Farmers' Market on the Capitol Square.

"Top Chef" contestants shopped at the Dane County Farmers' Market for a challenge on the show's 21st season, currently being filmed in Wisconsin.

Chef Tory Miller looks down at the Dane County Farmers' Market on the Capitol Square in Madison from the rooftop above his restaurant, L'Etoile.

Production crews surrounded "Top Chef" contestants at the Dane County Farmers' Market on Saturday.

Chefs competing on the 21st season of "Top Chef" ran through the Saturday morning Dane County Farmers' Market.

"Top Chef" contestants race to shop for ingredients at the Dane County Farmers' Market.

Film crews run to film "Top Chef" contestants at the Dane County Farmers' Market.

Film crews from "Top Chef" film farmers at the Dane County Farmers' Market. Booths that agreed to be on camera were marked with green tape.

Film crews captured the crowds and farmers as "Top Chef" contestants found ingredients at the Dane County Farmers' Market.

"Top Chef" contestants had to wrestle with crowds and a strict time limit at the Dane County Farmers' Market.

Stephanie Cmar, a culinary producer on "Top Chef," looks down from the rooftop of L'Etoile on Saturday morning.

"Top Chef" is filming in Madison and Milwaukee for its 21st season.

Ruthie Hauge, a Chicagoland native, is photo director at the Cap Times. She received a bachelor's in fine arts from Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and was a photographer for Sun-Times Media in the Chicago area before joining the Cap Times in 2020.

Support Ruthie's documentary photography by becoming a Cap Times member.

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