Known for her Food Network shows based on semi-homemade cooking and money saving meals, Netflix’s Blue Ribbon Baking Championship and more, celebrity chef Sandra Lee kicked off an 18-month tour of fairs across the country at the 260th York State Fair.

Lee started her career in Delmar, California selling Black and Decker home cooking gadgets. She sold her car to pay for that booth space, and the money she earned selling appliances paid for her student loans.

And while you may have seen her on Food Network, Lee didn’t start her career in food, she invented home decorating products in the ’90s, which earned her time on QVC; food came later. Her hit Emmy award-winning show, “Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee” premiered on the Food Network in 2003 and ran for 15 seasons.

Later came “Money Saving Meals,” and in 2024, the “Blue Ribbon Baking Championship,” where blue ribbon-winning bakers from state fairs across the country compete in a baking competition to win $100,000.

For Lee, fairs are in her blood. “They’re in my legacy, my history, my career, my success, so I’m kicking off my tour in York. People are really in that to win it, and so many incredible baked items come from state fairs − so I wanted to pay homage to that.”

And during her stay in York, Lee visited local businesses, landmarks and organizations, including The Pretzel Company, and the York History Center. Lee even raved about the clam strips with tartar sauce, and oysters Rockefeller from Rockfish Public House, which reminded her of Friday night fish fries in Wisconsin.