IN THE KITCHEN, AT THE HEART
HARRY HAMLIN, CHEF RENEE GUILBAULT
AND A REVOLUTION IN FLAVOR
Some stories practically write themselves—especially when they begin with a legendary actor, a world-class chef, and a pasta sauce that sparked something much bigger. Sitting down with Harry Hamlin and his niece, Chef Renee Guilbault, wasn’t just another interview — it felt like family. And if you’ve seen their hot show on AMC, In the Kitchen with Harry Hamlin, you already know exactly what I mean.
Harry, of course, is instantly recognizable — whether you know him from L.A. Law, Clash of the Titans, Mad Men, or his Real Housewives-adjacent adventures with wife Lisa Rinna. And let’s not forget his most recent role as the patriarch of the Mayfair family on the AMC gothic horror drama, Mayfair Witches. But in this kitchen, celebrity takes a backseat. What you find instead is a man wholly comfortable in his own skin, wielding a knife (often with questionable form, as Renee lovingly points out), and sharing his passion for homemade red sauce — one that ultimately led to something much bigger than either of them expected.
It’s rare in today’s food media landscape to find something that feels at once deeply personal, radically intentional, and wildly entertaining. But that’s precisely what you get when you step into In the Kitchen with Harry Hamlin. The show blends storytelling, culinary wisdom, and familial warmth; less a cooking show and more a celebration of connection. It’s no surprise that audiences are devouring it — not just for the food, but for the palpable bond between Harry and Renee. Their chemistry is authentic, unscripted, and deeply rooted in mutual respect.
I asked Harry how he felt about seeing his niece, who was once this little girl walking around his house with a Clash of the Titans lunchbox, become this incredible, talented, respected and beautiful woman. “I’ve known Renee since she was a sprout,” Harry laughed, eyes crinkling with affection. “Watching her grow from a determined young woman into a culinary force has been a revelation.” Every word spoken with complete adoration and clear respect for his world-renowned niece, Chef Renee.
Harry is the first to joke about being just a “cook with a small C.” So, of course, the natural question was when he started cooking. “When I went to acting school in San Francisco, I had an apartment with a kitchen, and that’s when I started cooking. And oddly enough, roast beef was my thing,” Harry answered with a nostalgic grin. “Not with bone in, but I would just get a little garlic and jam it in with a kitchen knife, cover it with kitchen bouquet and throw it in the oven. And I had food for like five days which, when you are a student in acting school running back and forth to the theater, unpaid, is perfect.”
Though despite Harry’s insistence that he is only a cook, Renee is quick to clarify that his humble, rustic instincts in the kitchen are part of the show’s charm, and its success. Not to mention the success of the sauce which we will get into in a minute.
It’s hard to believe that this show was born out of an episode of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but that is fact. The sum of it is simple; Harry made his sauce on the show for the Housewives. The show’s fans went crazy and started asking where they could buy the sauce. Obviously having seen the episode and ensuing social posts asking for where to buy the sauce, producers from AMC approached Harry about doing a cooking show.
In an era of hyper-produced food shows wrought with competition and drama, In the Kitchen with Harry Hamlin stands apart. There are no rehearsed lines, no flashy gimmicks. Renee and Harry just… cook. And talk. And laugh. Often at each other. It’s as if the cameras were never there. Harry reflected, “I was flabbergasted when they asked me to do it. To do a cooking show? So, I told them the only way I’ll do it is if Renee comes along and they said OK. I called Renee and she said OK. I mean, it’s really how it happened.”
They bring their full selves — flaws and all. When Harry nearly cuts himself, Renee’s glance says it all. When she raises a brow at his less-than-textbook chopping technique, you can feel the affection behind it. The love is loud. And the food? Soulful.
“I’ve never cut my fingers in 73 years,” Harry proudly told me. “And I plan to go to my grave with that record intact.”
Season two of the show saw a noticeable evolution. The episodes felt warmer, more intimate — reflecting both their growing ease and the depth of their partnership. It’s clear Harry’s kitchen instincts are growing, shaped by Renee’s gentle guidance. But make no mistake — this is not about perfection. “This isn’t a Michelin test kitchen,” Renee said with a grin. “These are real recipes for real people. Scratch cooking that anyone can do.”
So, what’s next for the popular show? Industry rumors are swirling that season three is getting greenlit though we could not get confirmation by press time.
The pair’s culinary collaboration, which began in earnest with In The Kitchen, has since expanded into something even more impactful: The Open Food Co. and Harry’s Famous Sauce.
“After the Housewives episode aired with me making the sauce, everywhere I went, people kept asking where they could buy the sauce,” Harry admitted. “Eventually, it just made sense.”
But neither he nor Renee were interested in just slapping a label on a product and calling it a day. For them, this was an opportunity to build something intentional — rooted in values, transparency, and purpose.
Renee, a classically trained chef who has worked with some of the most respected culinary programs in the world, brought the rigor. She also brought a sharp perspective on the food industry’s pitfalls — processed ingredients, lack of transparency, and the over-engineering of our meals. “The world doesn’t need another celebrity product,” Renee said. “It needs a revolution for good.”
Enter The Open Food Co.—a for-profit company that pledges 50% of net profits from Harry’s Famous Sauce to charity. Their mission: tackle food insecurity and nutrition insecurity in underserved communities. It’s not just about hunger; it’s about health. The difference matters. “Food is love. Food is gathering. It’s connecting,” Renee told me. “We wanted our company to reflect that.”
For Harry’s Famous Sauce, I begged my two new favorite people to give us a taste of what’s to come…and they obliged! Two new sauces: Lemon Pepper Dill (a vibrant, Mediterranean-inspired Pomodoro) and Marinara No. 7—so named for its stealthy inclusion of seven hidden vegetables.
“I’m telling you, it’s amazing,” Renee said, eyes lighting up. “Your kids won’t even know they’re eating their veggies.”
The sauces — like the show—are built around one core belief: food should nourish, not manipulate. Renee, who once had to Google the definition of food after too many encounters with lab-engineered ingredients, is a fierce advocate for real, whole ingredients.
“Everything we do is clean,” she said. “No fillers. No junk. If we can’t make it without additives, we just don’t make it.”
It’s a philosophy that ties directly into their charitable ethos. From Day One, The Open Food Co. has partnered with four nonprofits; Food Bank For New York City, Project Angel Food, The Open Door and Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. I will say, giving half their profits to causes fighting hunger and improving access to nutrition is a bold move in a profit-obsessed space—but exactly the kind of leadership the industry needs.
And the best part? None of it feels like a brand pitch. Because it’s not. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a legacy. “We don’t over plan,” Harry said. “We just show up and figure it out.”
And that, in many ways, is the magic of both the company and the show. Whether it’s a knife mishap, a heartfelt moment over garlic, or a conversation about changing the world one sauce jar at a time, In the Kitchen with Harry Hamlin is a reminder that the best stories—and the best meals—come from showing up with heart. And that clearly translates into The Open Food Co. products.
So, the next time you pop open a jar of Harry’s Famous Sauce, know this: You’re not just adding flavor to your dinner. You’re joining a movement. One spoonful at a time.
A LEGACY OF GRIT
AND GRACE
Renee’s journey, like Harry’s, has been full of flavor. A high school dropout who carved her path in the culinary world through grit, grace, and global experience, she’s now not only the engine behind The Open Food Co., but also the author of a career development and leadership book for the food industry. With a foreword by Michael Backer, President of the Culinary Institute of America and board member of the James Beard Foundation, Renee’s ethos is backed by authority — and authenticity.
Her belief? That the kitchen isn’t just a place of cooking, but a classroom for life. “There are so many different ways to achieve a goal,” she told me. “And the best way to do it is to give space and grace to all of them.”
That openness, that space, is evident in how she works with Harry. Rather than being a culinary dictator, she plays guide, offering structure when needed but always leaving room for improvisation. The result? A culinary dance that’s both educational and emotionally resonant. “You can feel the love in the food,” she said. “And that’s the point.”
As their culinary projects with The Open Food Co. expand, so does their reach. The duo has received interest from major grocery chains, boutique retailers, and online food platforms eager to carry Harry’s Famous Sauce and future products from The Open Food Co. Yet they remain deliberate.
“We’re not rushing,” Renee noted. “We want partners who share our values.” In fact, their roadmap includes more than just sauces. Plans are being drafted for more products in different categories. All are guided by Renee’s mantra: If it’s not clean, it’s not cuisine.
When asked what they want for viewers and fans of the show, Harry said, “We want people to fall in love with cooking again. It’s not about being a chef. It’s about finding joy in what you make.” And he clearly alluded to that very same philosophy being part of Harry’s Famous Sauce.
For Harry, this chapter of life is a surprise—but a fulfilling one. The man once known for mythological battles and courtroom dramas now finds satisfaction in stirring sauce and cracking garlic; pleasure in coming up with new product ideas. But make no mistake: He takes the role seriously.
“It’s not just about the food on the show or the product. It’s about what they represent,” he said. “A chance to do something good. To leave something behind that matters.”
What struck me most during our conversation was the reverence both Harry and Renee carry for not just the culinary world, but for the power of intention. This isn’t a gimmick or an image-polishing exercise. These are two people, two family members, leveraging their unique experiences to craft something tangible. Something lasting.
We live in a time where so much of what we consume, both literally and figuratively, feels fast, hollow, and disposable. This show, this company, this philosophy...it cuts through that noise. It asks something deeper of its audience: To slow down. To cook a meal with your hands. To look someone in the eye as you pass the sauce. To remember what it means to nourish and be nourished.
For Renee, the mission is personal. Her culinary roots trace back not just to formal education, but to years of experience traveling, experimenting, and working in every kind of kitchen imaginable. She’s passionate about elevating the food system from the inside out, and The Open Food Co. is her conduit. She talks about equity in food access, food deserts in urban neighborhoods, and how nutrition insecurity is often misunderstood.
“Hunger isn’t just about not having food,” she said. “It’s about not having the right food. The food that fuels you, that heals you. Everyone deserves that.”
Harry echoes this with his own brand of grounded wisdom. “I’m not a chef. I’m a guy who learned how to cook so I wouldn’t starve. And now I cook because it brings me joy.” His words remind us that culinary mastery isn’t a requirement for meaning. What matters is effort, heart, and a willingness to share.
Together, they’ve created an ecosystem. A show that entertains and educates. A product line that stands up to scrutiny. And a company that gives back more than it takes. They’ve also become cultural touchstones — proof that reinvention can happen at any stage of life, and that family collaborations, when done with honesty and humor, can unlock extraordinary magic.
In the Kitchen with Harry Hamlin may have started in Harry’s home kitchen, but it’s traveled far beyond those walls. It’s now part of a broader movement redefining what food media can look like. Less stylized. More sincere. Less performance. More purpose.
Even as their vision scales, they’re adamant about retaining intimacy. They read the comments. They respond to emails. That sense of smallness—their hands in the dough, so to speak—is part of what makes it all work.
In the end, it’s not about celebrity or polish. It’s about two people, a sauce, a cutting board, and a mission. It’s about inviting us all into the kitchen…not to watch, but to participate.
So, whether you’re a seasoned cook, a takeout devotee, or someone rediscovering your stovetop for the first time, know this: you have a seat at Harry and Renee’s table. And you’ll leave full—in every sense of the word.