Kids in Adam Liaw’s kitchen

In his sixth season of The Cook Up, SBS chef Adam Liaw will welcome kids to an episode to show what they can cook.

The idea stems from growing popularity of the no-fuss cooking show as it attracts more kids watching.

“Kids are a really big audience for us,” he tells TV Tonight. “I think that’s part of the success of the show. I get so many people coming to me saying ‘My son or daughter watches your show every single night.’ Kids love cooking and the recipes that we make on the show are easy enough for the kids to do so. We actually have really strong viewership amongst children. So we thought ‘Let’s get some kids into the kitchen too.'”

SBS Food has commissioned two seasons for 2024 of 85 episodes each -at least 170 meals and friendly conversation with famous faces from the world of food and entertainment.

Liaw now shoots 3-4 episodes a day, as an internal SBS production, first screening in 2020.

“It had been on the cards at SBS for a long time, but during COVID times when I couldn’t do travel shows we started talking about what we could do to change up studio concepts a little bit, and then it snowballed into hundreds and hundreds of episodes. It’s been really gratifying actually to see how well it’s been received by audiences.

“It’s got a really loyal following now and I think we’re seeing other networks now see the value of doing this kind of high volume, cooking show with a bit of a difference. Ready Steady Cook is coming back. There’s a few other projects I know of at other networks that are trying to replicate the success of The Cook Up.”

Part of the appeal of the show is in not trying to over-complicate home cooking, but to create dishes that viewers can replicate. Recipes are also available online.

“I think early on the guests were really trying to cook something really impressive, but now we show what’s been popular in the past. Our wheelhouse, our strike zone is really affordable, accessible, easy home cooking, but with a bit of creativity as well. We want easy meals and I think our food rather than getting more complicated, always gets easier, Our recipes are getting easier and easier on the show. That’s not to say that the quality is getting worse. There’s no reduction in quality. There’s no correlation between how good something tastes and how easy it is to cook. But it’s just getting more confident.

“As a show everyone is getting better at cooking. I think we’re also enjoying the latitude that we can have with our conversations as well.”

Guests this season include include tennis star Priscilla Hon, Dr Michael Mosley, Rachel Ward, Eddie Perfect, Lincoln Younes, Art Simone, Nikki Britton, Dr Tyson Yunkaporta, Dave Lawson, Christie Whelan Browne, Mahmoud Ismail, Jamie Durie, Clare Bowditch, Bert La Bonte, Joe White, Ann Reardon and Ashley Vola.

“I learn so much from the guests. I get recipe ideas orttechnique ideas from them. And you know that there’s a lot of recipes out there in the world and the things that I get from people who watch the show, because obviously we’ve been running for a while now and we do get a lot of feedback is that sometimes people people get recipes from their horse you know that’s that’s kind of what the show is about. But

“People also like the little tips of how they can change the way they they cook for the better. It could be a different way to cut a carrot or how to stop bacon from spitting when you fry in a frying pan. I learn these kinds of tricks, literally every single day.People also like the little tips of how they can change the way they they cook for the better. It could be a different way to cut a carrot or how to stop bacon from spitting when you fry in a frying pan. I learn these kinds of tricks, literally every single day.”

He also finds the conversation can be more disarming when guests are focussed on the cooking element.

“In Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Jerry Seinfeld would take comedians around and you’d get this really honest conversation because the part of your brain that is trying to think of the right thing to say, is kind of distracted by driving a car or cooking a meal. So you’re just saying what’s really honest. I think we have more honest conversations when you’re cooking than you would if you were sitting down in a chair with a light in your face.”

This season, The Cook Up again celebrates Refugee Week by featuring top chefs and guests sharing their stories and experiences. Liaw is joined by recently retired AFLW star Akec Makur Chuot, comedian Joe White, UNHCR technology guru Zoe Ghani, refugee advocate Asif Sultani, and inspiring entrepreneur Anyier Yuol, and more.

He also takes the show to the public with a first live appearance at Adelaide Fringe from 29 Feb – 1st March.

“We’ve got Maggie Beer, Costa from Gardening Australia, Jennifer Wong, Callum Haan. It’s really exciting to be able to do this as a live show. The Cook Up has such a loyal audience now we’ll get a couple of thousand of them in a big theatre and it’ll be it’ll be great fun.”

6pm weeknights from Monday February 26 on SBS Food.