Andy Hearnden

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Andy Hearnden
Born (1985-10-07) 7 October 1985 (age 38)[1]
NationalityNew Zealand[1]
PartnerKatelyn Flood[2]
YouTube information
Channels
  • Andy Cooks
Years active2021–present
Genre
  • Cooking
Websitewww.andy-cooks.com

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]

Early life[edit]

Hearnden was born in Wellington and subsequently lived on a poultry farm.[3] He was passionate about cooking from a very young age.[5]

Career[edit]

Chef[edit]

After 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[edit]

In 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 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[edit]

Hearnden 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

[citation needed]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "About". Andy Cooks. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ a b c "Andy Hearnden – AKA 'Andy Cooks'". RGM. 4 September 2023. Archived from the original on 8 November 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ "A Year On YouTube: 2022's Top Trending". Google. 2 December 2022. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  9. ^ 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)
  10. ^ Clarke, Jenna (23 August 2022). "Who are the top influencers?". The Australian.
  11. ^ Bertollo, Daniela (26 August 2022). "The most popular food influencers of 2022". taste.com.au.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ 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.