Celebrity chef Bobby Flay penned an emotional tribute to television personality and chef Anne Burrell after she passed away on June 17.

Taking to Instagram Stories, Flay posted an image of Burrell caressing two Maine Coon cats and wrote,

“The greatest gift I got from AB was turning me on to a world of Maine Coon Cats (including Nacho)...a gift that I'll have forever. #unforgettable”

Flay was referring to his own cat, Nacho, who died in 2023. Nacho was a Maine Coon cat.

In his tribute to Burrell, who was known for hosting Worst Cooks in America, Flay also wrote about co-hosting the show with her from Season 3 onwards. He added,

“Worst Cooks in America was the funnest show on TV. All of your co-hosts (me included) were just alongside for the Anne Burrell ride.”

Bobby Flay revealed in his tribute to Anne Burrell that the credit for introducing him to Maine Coon cats lies with the late chef and television host. Flay’s beloved cat, Nacho, motivated him to create a premium cat food line, Made by Nacho.

Flay has recounted the story behind the inception of the brand and its link with his late cat. He said,

“I think that Nacho has transcended every pet that I’ve had. He was really smart, he just had charisma. I always tell the story that Nacho whispered in my ear, ‘Hey, what about us? You’re feeding everybody else, you care so much about us, like what’s up?’ I think that Nacho certainly wanted me to think about how to feed them well.”

Sharing how Nacho’s personality impacted the brand’s creation, Flay reminisced,

“Nacho always wanted to make sure that every other cat was okay too. A great symbol of looking out for cats everywhere. He had presence and beauty but he also had an incredible way about him. It’s almost like he read your feelings. And for all we know, he did.”

Flay, who has another cat named Canelo, also spoke about the bond between his cats and said,

“On Nacho’s last day, I literally watched him go over to Canelo and mentor him for about an hour. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, it was the saddest thing I’d ever seen, it was also the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen and who knows what he was communicating to that cat. It felt like he was saying, ‘So here’s how it works,’ and I thought to myself, of course, he’s gone out that way, that was Nacho.”

While speaking to Forbes about the cat food brand, Flay said,

“Cats are often overlooked when it comes to nutrition. People are more conscious than ever about what they feed their pets, and we wanted to create something that meets the same quality that we expect from our own meals. Cats have always been an important part of my life. I thought to myself, these cats are so important to me, but I don't know what to feed them.”

According to Parade Magazine, Bobby Flay now has another Maine Coon cat called Stella. Flay runs Instagram pages for both Nacho and Stella.

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