• by Fern Siegel , December 3, 2007

The Food Network is taking its celebrity chefs out of the kitchen and into the branded product aisle.

Bobby Flay, a 13-year Food Network vet, will develop his first collection of kitchenware and casual entertaining products this spring exclusively for Kohl's. Flay is also the first celebrity chef to collaborate with the network on branded products.

Flay's Kohl alliance is part of an overall Food Network strategy. It hopes to capitalize on a chef's culinary expertise beyond TV. Once the line launches, Flay will be promoted online, at events and in brand extensions at the network.

"Bobby Flay's bold and colorful approach to cuisine is a great fit with Kohl's, and Food Network's mission to translate culinary expertise into unique and exciting products," said Sergei Kuharsky, general manager, Food Network.

The Flay line, which pushes his casual lifestyle sensibility, will include cookware, dinnerware, kitchen gadgets, utensils, cutlery, kitchen textiles and barbecue tools. The brand will showcase Flay's flair, boasting Mediterranean influences, bold colors and rich textures. Flay says he hopes the products inspire viewers to "grill and entertain with them every weekend."

Kevin Mansell, president of Kohl's Corporation, said Flay's enthusiasm and expertise makes him "an ideal partner in expanding the Food Network collection and delivering on Kohl's mission of offering world-class brands to customers nationwide."

The original collaboration between Food Network and Kohl's, which carries an exclusive collection of Food Network-branded products, began in September.