A Nova Scotia-based chef just launched his new series, emphasizing his home-province’s local eats and the joy of cooking for Canadians.
You may recognize Andy Hay from when he was a contestant on season 5 of Master Chef Canada, where he placed as runner-up, before he returned in season 7 of Master Chef Canada: Back to Win and finished as a co-runner up.
Now, along with his love for cooking, Hay has launched his own HGTV show on the Food Network.
Andy’s East Coast Kitchen Crawl takes the Peggy’s Cove-native across the Atlantic provinces of Canada, as he visits different local, high-end restaurants, home kitchens and everywhere in between.
The show highlights different east coast cuisines, and people, as Hay shares the stories of locals and provides his own expertise.
Hay told Now Toronto that bringing his content from small screen social media platforms to a longer form television series was always a major goal.
“The part of Instagram that I really like is just constantly getting out there, making new recipes, getting inspired,” Hay explained. “But I think what’s cool is I built my brand using and showcasing the east coast, and it just takes it to a whole new level, meeting the people, the landscape, more of those food traditional stories that make Atlantic Canada so awesome.”
Hay added that it was important to show the people behind the plates, especially in Atlantic Canada.
“Life can be tough, but one thing that [people from the east coast] do pretty well is ‘do’ with a smile on your face and try to have a good time with it,” he said. “[We] invite people just off the street, like we had that while we were filming in the summer, people just inviting us right into their homes… It’s comforting, it’s very friendly. It’s neighbor-first, and it’s just a trusting place.”
Hay said with his new series, he wanted to share unique east-coast dishes with the country, something he got into with his wife.
“We went to Southeast Asia. She fell in love with cooking,” Hay shared. “We came home, back to Halifax, and in 2011 there weren’t any Thai or Vietnamese restaurants, so I’m craving this food now. I have to teach myself how to cook and then I just got really into it.”
Hay added how he would teach himself through cookbooks and YouTube videos, catapulting himself towards wanting to pursue a career in culinary arts full-time.
“I want to be a poor man’s Anthony Bourdain. I want a food travel show, and that’s been the dream since day one, is that this is all I’ve ever wanted,” Hay said.
Now, following his Master Chef Canada run in 2021, Hay is finally catching his big break with his very own show.
“No kitchen is too big or too small. We do fine dining. We do like grandma’s kitchen,” he said. “Trying to capture not only just like the high-end food, but what is it that makes up Atlantic Canadian food? It is a surprisingly diverse area in different ways. There’s loads of different kinds of traditions, cultures, and we just dove deep into it and tried to understand a little bit more.”
Hay added that he also thinks the ingredients from Atlantic Canada are the best in the world.
Andy’s East Coast Kitchen Crawl premiered on April 10 and airs every Friday on HGTV’s Food Network.
