Andy Cooks on the Intensity of Chef Life, Overcoming Addiction & Blowing Up Online
Andy Hearnden—better known as Andy Cooks—is a digital chef with over 15 million followers across TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. With more than 20 years of professional kitchen experience, Andy’s mission is simple: to help people cook better food at home.
This episode is a raw, honest, and practical chat with someone who’s lived through it all and come out the other side with purpose, clarity, and a huge burst of creativity.
We spoke about his childhood, the highs and lows of working in some of the world’s top restaurants, overcoming alcohol addiction, losing his job, and how that setback became the turning point that launched his social media journey. And of course, I couldn’t help myself—I had to ask him about the oils and appliances he actually uses in the kitchen.
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Head of Production: Jonah Mclachlan
Head of Content: Samuel Morgan
Time Stamps
00:00 – Promo
01:06 – Andy Cooks v Andy Hearnden
02:39 – Cultural Influences and Family Dynamics
10:29 – Travelling around the world pursuing a career as a chef
17:42 - The intensity of working at a high-level restaurant
26:20 - Alcohol & Drug abuse in restaurants/hospitality
29:07 – Andy’s personal struggles & overcoming addiction
32:15 – Transition to Social Media
36:42 - The iconic ‘Hey Babe’ series
39:28 – Andy’s international audience & content rollout
43:01 - Business model & famous collaborations
49:45 – Andy Cook’s products & kitchen tools
56: 41 - Cooking with oils & chef’s knives & cleaning
1:01:11 – Andy’s cleaning process
1:02:37 – Prepped lunches & weight cutting
1:12:00 – Australia’s produce & International Food Experiences
1:17:15 – Final Thoughts and Acknowledgments
