It’s a pretty sweet day when one of my favorite music artists and specialty food & cookware stores combine for something tasty and amazing. That is exactly what happened yesterday when country music superstar Trisha Yearwood stopped by Williams Sonoma location inside Columbus Circle to debut her new line of food products that are available in stores now!
The Williams Sonoma and Trisha’s Kitchen collaboration features five food products that bring Trisha’s cherished family recipes to life. Trisha’s BISCUIT MIX takes its inspiration from her father’s homemade buttermilk biscuits, while Trisha’s SUMMER IN A CUP cocktail mix recreates a breezy drink invented by a dear friend, on a hot summer day at her home in Oklahoma.
Other products in the line include her Apple BBQ Sauce, Applewood Molasses Rub and her Unfried Chicken Seasoning Kit, all of which I sampled yesterday and kept coming back for more! Trisha had this to say to all of us yesterday on her collaboration with Williams Sonoma and her excitement level regarding it. “This partnership has been a slow, stalking situation for me since day one because I love this company, I love what they are about, I love their products. I could totally work here so if you have any questions about products you can come to me (laughter). To be able to do this summer promotion with them is a dream come true.”
I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with the legendary Trisha Yearwood to discuss her line with Williams Sonoma but also find out what inspired her to get into cooking outside of her legendary music career and her best advice for anyone who wants longevity and success in their own as well.
What inspired you to do your cooking show in the first place and get your name out in a completely different way from your music?
It was really an accident! I came to New York to have a meeting with a publisher who was interested in my writing my autobiography, and I was like, “No!” (Laughter). First of all, the stories people want to know are ones that I’m never going to tell, and secondly, I’m not old enough yet. I was in my early forty’s. So then they were like, “Well, what do you want to write about? Because people would be interested in what you are going to say.” In the meeting, off the cuff, I said that I liked to cook. It was really a conversation that ended with my leaving there volunteering myself and my sister writing a cookbook.
I never dreamed it would be a success, never dreamed it would turn into three books, never dreamed it would become a show. I’m more surprised than anybody. I actually resisted the show for a long time, because I thought I don’t know if it would be fun to stand behind the counter said say “now let’s add the butter”. So, Food Network was great about widening their gap of what they thought a cooking show could be. To let it be a little looser, to let us make our mistakes and to have my sister on and my best friends. I do better when I interact with someone else, so they really let me do what I do. I think that’s why they relate because most people who cook aren’t chefs, I’m not either. So most people cook like I do, so I think that’s why it’s been around for so long.
I just tried some of the food in your new line with Williams Sonoma. It is absolutely delicious! I noticed there are no dessert products though, is there a reason for that?
Well we’ve looked at dessert spaces before, not with Williams Sonoma, long before. The reason why I haven’t done anything so far is that if you buy a cake in a bakery or if you buy a frozen version, if it says, “Trisha’s Key Lime Cake”, it better taste the way it would taste if I made it. And with dessert, it’s tricky to do with shelf life and all that stuff, unless it’s a mix. The first thing we decided with this collaboration was the summer situation and I am hoping it leads to more stuff with Williams Sonoma, because they have done it right. They worked hard with me on the recipes and making sure that it tasted right. I want you yourself to make the biscuits, and whether you like it or not, that’s how it’s supposed to taste. Not that it’s some version of another recipe, I care about that, but with dessert I hope we are able to work together, it just has to be right!
What advice would you give to anyone who wants to have success and longevity in their career similar to what you have experienced in so many different mediums?
I heard a quote yesterday where it went “Everybody says follow your passion, but most people with passion say bring your passion with you”. I think that’s it. Everything I have a hand in with the stuff that I enjoy, I don’t do anything that isn’t natural to me. I think that is truly how you measure your own success.
For more information on Trisha Yearwood’s collaboration with Williams Sonoma, check out their official website.