Who handles the President’s grocery list? Meet the people who shop and cook at the White House

As the most powerful person in the world and the duties the role entails, the US president doesn’t exactly have the time to prep their own food, nor can they really step out to buy the ingredients. That task is handled by personnel from the Navy that make up the Presidential Food Service and a dedicated team of chefs at the White House.

These culinary specialists seek out virtually whatever the president and first family have a hankering for and prepare it for them. The system has pretty much remained the same since the 1880s.

Covert grocery shopping

The Presidential Food Service mainly places orders with approved suppliers but there is also dedicated members that go out to do the shopping for the president and their family. They visit numerous different stores and farmer’s markets, and go out at various times as not to draw attention to their activities.

They get to know the preferences of each first family and make sure that items that they crave are always on hand to avoid unnecessary runs to the grocery store staff told PEOPLE.

“You have to over-anticipate what a family might want. If FLOTUS or the president or the kids want something, it’s usually already in-house. It’s not like you can just go to the store real quick to pick something up,” former White House chef Andre Rush explained.

Who pays for the president’s groceries?

If it is a state dinner, which can cost half a million dollars, the tax payers foot the bill. However, the bill for groceries and other items for personal consumption and costs for private events get handed to the president to pay out of their pocket.

According to Business Insider, besides their annual salary of $400,000, they also get “a $50,000 annual expense account, $100,000 nontaxable travel account, and $19,000 for entertainment.”

“Food can start wars and food can end wars, literally”

Once the purchases have been screened, it is up to the White House chefs to prepare the meals for the president and their family. They even take care of this task while the president is traveling. Chefs used to be chosen by the first lady, but nowadays they generally pass from one administration to the next.

The White House chefs don’t just keep the president’s preferences in mind, but also their guests. In May 1979, then-President Jimmy Carter hosted Japanese Prime Minister Masayoshi Ōhira at the White House. Staff had to scramble at the last minute to whip up an American-style barbecue after it was discovered that the Japanese head of state had a desire to sample it.

“A menu might seem inconsequential. But there is a lot of thought that goes into it - particularly when it’s being served to some of the most powerful people in the world,” White House historian Lina Mann shared with PEOPLE.

Rush put it more bluntly. “Food can start wars and food can end wars, literally. People don’t realize how important it is, especially in the White House. There’s no second chances. You can’t make mistakes.”

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