TikTok Talent Spotlight: When Cooking Meets Comedy

While TikTok is famed for dance challenges and meme videos, it’s also a treasure chest of users’ interests and hobbies. TikTok has proven popular amongst chefs and foodies as they descend on the app to share their mouth-watering recipes from all over the world.

In an attempt to find new ways to entertain themselves during the COVID-19 crisis, many people are taking up cooking for the first time and turning to easy-to-follow recipes on TikTok. The app is filled with hundreds of talented “TikTok chefs” sharing short and simple instructional food videos.

With life starting to feel a little like Groundhog Day, it can be difficult to know what to cook next. We all have our easy go-to meals, but there’s no harm in trying something different. In need of a little inspiration? Well, let's munch!

Bartek is a 23 year-old from London cooking under the name ‘Let’s Munch!’. Often inspired by his family roots, Bartek shares lots of Polish recipes but is also well versed in a wide range of cuisines creating everything from traditional lasagnes to marshmallow and nutella-stuffed french toast.

Bartek created his TikTok account on the 20th of April this year whilst locked down at home and cooking for his family. He saw it as the perfect chance to share his passion for food with the world. Six months on, his skills have developed beyond his wildest dreams and his audience has descended to hear him sing his catchphrase ‘this hits differently’ as he creates mouthwatering meals. 

Bartek’s goal is “to get you cooking some super tasty dishes with a side dish of laughs'' and he’s become known for his comedic cooking shorts punctuated with cultural anecdotes and references. The Let's Munch! recipes have enticed over 290,000 followers as well as an Instagram following where recipies can be found in more detail. He’s even gone on to acquire partnerships with big brands like Marks & Spencer, Wagamama and McCains.

And it’s not just Bartek. TikTok has seen a surge of young, often self-taught chefs making cooking more fun with accessible and simple recipes, as well as experimental dishes, cooking tips and hacks. They’re flooding TikTok feeds across the globe. 

Here, I want to share with you some of my favourite budding Blumenthals to watch…

1. Tyler Butt - @tylerbutt_eats

Nutrition Coach and podcaster, Tyler shares his quick and easy healthy-(ish) recipes to TikTok. Comedic Tyler offers low calorie alternatives to dinner time favourites served with a few cheeky innuendos.

2. Nathan Bates - @neyyfun

YouTuber and clumsy chef Nathan ‘cooks when hungry’. Not taking himself, life or cooking too seriously, Nathan offers easy but creative meals for people who want to eat well but don't want to try too hard.

3. Poppy O'Toole - @poppycooks

Michelin-trained Poppy O’Toole enjoys ‘making food easy frickin peasy’ and gained a mammoth overnight following on TikTok for her 25 days of potato recipes.

4. Nathan S - @thegrubworkskitchen

Nathan, the CEO of ‘FLAYVAS’, is a 23 year-old chef making the world's cuisines accessible and fusing flavours from around the globe.

5. Georgie Halfacree - @georgiehalfacree 

Georgie is a 21 year-old creative documenting her passion for food, drink and travel on social media. Towards the end of 2019, she began posting recipes and kitchen hacks on TikTok gaining her a following of over 300,000 individuals.

If you’re interested in more ways in which social-first content creators are tapping into cultural trends, follow The Fifth to be updated on #Trendsetters every week.