Andy Hearnden, better known by his online moniker Andy Cooks, is a New Zealand born chef, YouTuber, and cookbook author. He worked in restaurants for 20 years before turning to social media in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic,[3] and two years later had 13 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.[4]
Andy Hearnden | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | New Zealand[1] |
| Partner | Katelyn Flood[2] |
YouTube information | |
| Channels |
|
| Years active | 2021–present |
| Genre |
|
| Website | www.andy-cooks.com |
Early life
editHearnden was born in Wellington and subsequently lived on a poultry farm.[3] He was passionate about cooking from a very young age.[5]
Career
editChef
editAfter training at an Auckland culinary school, Hearnden worked in café kitchens there.[5]
Moving to London he started working for Michelin-star chef Tom Aikens at Chelsea's Tom's Kitchen, then at E&O in Notting Hill, before Shoreditch's Great Eastern Dining Room to be their Head Chef at the age of 24.[5]
After seven years in England, Hearnden moved to Sydney and French Bistro Felix. He became Head Chef at Gills Diner and then Entrecôte in Melbourne.[5]
Hearnden was Executive Chef at coffee shop chain St Ali and later managed restaurants and bars in airports around Australia and New Zealand.[5] He moved to the Sunshine Coast in 2020, joining beef processor Kilcoy Global Foods, as Executive Chef in their test kitchen.[6]
Content creator
editIn November 2021, Hearnden started publishing on TikTok under the name Andy Cooks.[3] Later, he posted Instagram, YouTube and Facebook content for home cooks.[7] Within 18 months of starting, he had 10 million subscribers across his social media platforms.[4]
The cooking videos are best known for the Hey Babe format,[4] and Basic Mitch catchphrase.[citation needed]
In 2022, YouTube identified Hearnden as one of Australia's Top 5 Creators,[8]The Sydney Daily Telegraph described him as a top 25 Australian on TikTok,[9] and The Australian ranked him Australia's #41 top influencer.[10] Taste.com.au considered him one of its most popular food influencers of the year[11] and The Courier-Mail one of the Sunshine Coast's top influencers.[12]
The following year, the Herald Sun named him one of Victoria's top Instagram influencers.[13] The Courier-Mail ranked him in its list of the Sunshine Coast's most influential people,[14] and also included him amongst Queensland's top YouTube[15] and Instagram creators.[16] YouTube Australia named Hearnden its top creator.[17]
Publications
edit- Hearnden, Andy (2023). Andy Cooks: The Cookbook. Marion's Press. ISBN 9780645255768.[18]
Personal life
editHearnden is in a relationship with Katelyn Flood.[2]
Television
edit| Role | Episodes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | The Cook Up with Adam Liaw on SBS Food | Guest | 4 |
| 2023 | Sunrise on Seven Network | Guest | 2 |
| 2023 | The Morning Show on Seven Network | Guest | 1 |
| 2023 | Breakfast on TVNZ 1 | Guest | 1 |
References
edit- ^ "About". Andy Cooks. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ a b Snowdon, Tom (13 September 2023). "TikTok: Katelyn Flood and the Andy Cooks social media juggernaut". University of the Sunshine Coast. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ a b c Huckstep, Anthony (24 December 2023). "Andy Hearnden (Andy Cooks) – The digital chef – Deep in the Weeds – A Food Podcast with Anthony..." YouTube. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ a b c "Andy Hearnden – AKA 'Andy Cooks'". RGM. 4 September 2023. Archived from the original on 8 November 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Nash, Brad (30 August 2023). "Andy Cooks Is The King Of Foodtok". Esquire Australia. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ "Beef chef and social media sensation, Andy Hearnden". Beef Central. 26 August 2022. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ Sams, Lauren (5 August 2022). "How TikTok is taking over your kitchen". Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ "A Year On YouTube: 2022's Top Trending". Google. 2 December 2022. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ Beaini, Adella (24 December 2022). "TikTok's 2022 list: Meet Australia's top 25 creators". Sydney Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.(subscription required)
- ^ Clarke, Jenna (23 August 2022). "Who are the top influencers?". The Australian.
- ^ Bertollo, Daniela (26 August 2022). "The most popular food influencers of 2022". taste.com.au.
- ^ Camp, Kristen (6 October 2022). "Sunshine Coast's top influencers, content creators with high followers - List". Courier-Mail. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ Singh, Himangi (6 March 2023). "Who are they: Victoria's biggest Instagram influencers of 2023 ranked". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ Maureschat, Jorina (15 December 2023). "Sunshine Coast's most influential movers and shakers of 2023". Courier-Mail. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ Patterson, Natalie (26 April 2023). "Gamers, musos and pranksters: Qld's top 100 YouTube content creators - PART 2". Courier-Mail. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ Patterson, Natalie (25 January 2023). "Meet Queensland's 100 top Instagram influencers and what they're about". Courier-Mail. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ Chang, Ashley (7 December 2023). "A Year On YouTube in Australia: 2023's Top Trending". Google. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ Hearnden, Andy (5 July 2023). Andy Cooks: The Cookbook. Marion's Kitchen. ISBN 978-0-6452557-6-8. Archived from the original on 23 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.