Who Does The Grocery Shopping For The President?
- - Who Does The Grocery Shopping For The President?
Martha BrennanAugust 21, 2025 at 8:10 AM
The White House - Joe Daniel Price/Getty Images
The lives of important people are fascinating. From royals and presidents to sporting legends and pop stars, we're consistently intrigued by the ins and outs of their everyday lives. Even something as mundane as grocery shopping can seem interesting when it's being done by the rich and famous. And, if you've ever wondered who's in charge of that department for the President of the United States, the short answer is the Navy.
As much as we'd love to run into a president at the grocery store, unsurprisingly, they don't need to bag vegetables or wait in lines like the rest of us. And it isn't just any old intern that's sent out to run such an errand. All of the food in the White House is provided by the Presidential Food Service, which is made up of culinary specialists assigned by the Navy.
As former First Lady Michelle Obama once explained on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," the first family orders groceries from the specialists whenever they want something, and they're later sent a presidential bill for the expense. The family can get virtually any item, no matter how hard it is to find. The orders are mainly placed with approved suppliers, but there are designated shoppers who go to farmer's markets and grocery stores too.
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Who Cooks For The President?
A White House chef holding two plates of food - Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The shoppers tend to visit a number of different places at varying times so that they remain unnoticed, and they try to buy things they think the family might randomly crave in order to avoid unnecessary trips (via People). Of course, everything is screened and then prepared by the White House chefs, who cook to the family's tastes and follow any requests. Interestingly, the chefs are not members of the Navy but rather are hired directly by the first lady, though in more recent times the position of head chef has been carried through administrations.
The Presidential Food Service and the White House chefs are pretty much always on call, and they have to be extremely flexible. For example, Richard Nixon banned soup from state dinners, George W. Bush liked unique and rich pizza toppings, and President Trump's favorite breakfast is very specific. They also need to be hyper aware of anything that could make the president sick. But for the family, it's a pretty sweet deal — though we wouldn't like to foot that grocery bill any time soon.
The system has been in place since as far back as 1880, and little changes when the president is away from Washington, D.C. The Presidential Food Service is led by a director, who works with the Secret Service to feed the president even when they're travelling. The specialists make sure the president is always cared for in the culinary department — whether that means organizing an intricate dinner or just making sure they get their favorite late-night snack.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
Source: “AOL AOL Lifestyle”
