TL;DR
Table of Contents
| # | Creator | TikTok Handle | Followers | Known For | Based In |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andy Cooks | @andy_cooks | 6M+ | Hey Babe recipe format, restaurant-quality home cooking | QLD |
| 2 | Bites With Lily | @biteswithlily | 3.4M+ | Street food discoveries, restaurant reviews | Sydney, NSW |
| 3 | Michael Finch | @michaelfinch | 2.7M+ | Comfort cooking, Buldak ramen, cosy recipes | Australia |
| 4 | Cooking With Ayeh | @cookingwithayeh | 2.4M+ | Plant-based recipes, Persian and Mediterranean cuisine | Sydney, NSW |
| 5 | Aussie Fitness | @aussiefitness | 4.4M+ | Healthy fast food fakeaways, weight loss transformation | Australia |
| 6 | CheatMeats | @cheatmeats | 1.4M+ | BBQ and grilling, epic cooks, rubs and sauces | Western Australia |
| 7 | Audreysaurus | @audreysaurus | 1.3M+ | Creative home recipes, tanghulu, comfort food | Australia |
| 8 | Chebbo | @chebbo | 1.2M+ | Smash burgers, burger builds, driveway-to-restaurant story | Sydney, NSW |
| 9 | Steph Pase | @stephcooksstuff | 717K+ | Budget meals under $10, MasterChef alumni, cookbooks | Australia |
| 10 | RecipeTin Eats | @recipetineats | 500K+ | Accessible family recipes, bestselling cookbooks | Sydney, NSW |
| 11 | Jennnnaaayy | @jennnnaaayy | 593K+ | Budget family dinners, mental health advocacy | Hunter Valley, NSW |
| 12 | Khanh Ong | @khanhong | 426K+ | Vietnamese-Australian fusion, Table for One series | Melbourne, VIC |
| 13 | AbraKebabra Reviews | @abrakebabra_reviews | 236K+ | Kebab and street food reviews, hidden gem finder | Sydney, NSW |
| 14 | Bec Hardgrave | @bechardgrave | 205K+ | Fakeaway recipes, macro-friendly fast food swaps | Brisbane, QLD |
| 15 | Ailene | @notmelbfoodieee | 200K+ | ASMR food reviews, Melbourne dining guides | Melbourne, VIC |
TikTok: @andy_cooks | Followers: 6M+ | Based in: Queensland
Andy Hearnden spent 20 years working in professional kitchens before the pandemic pushed him to pick up a camera. What started as casual cooking clips in 2021 exploded into one of Australia's biggest creator success stories. His signature "Hey, Babe" format, where he walks viewers through restaurant-quality dishes with laid-back Aussie charm, has earned him over 17 million followers across platforms. YouTube named him one of Australia's Top 5 Creators in 2022, and he has since published a bestselling cookbook. Andy proves that proper technique, served with zero pretension, is a formula that never gets old.
Restaurant-quality recipes simplified for home cooks, steak and burger mastery, Wagyu breakdowns, one-pot pasta dishes, and the kind of comfort food that makes you feel like a professional chef without any formal training.
His "Hey, Babe" video series became a cultural moment, spawning countless recreations and cementing the catchphrase as shorthand for approachable, no-fuss cooking content across the platform.
TikTok: @biteswithlily | Followers: 3.4M+ | Based in: Sydney, NSW
Lily Huynh is Sydney's go-to guide for discovering the best food spots you have never heard of. Born and raised outside Sydney, she has built a following of over 3.4 million on TikTok and 2.2 million YouTube subscribers by doing what she does best: showing up at a restaurant, hawker stall or hidden laneway spot, and making you desperate to try it yourself. Her content spans everything from Asian street food adventures to high-end dining experiences, and her mochi-making video alone pulled in over 30 million views.
Restaurant and street food reviews across Sydney and beyond, Asian cuisine deep dives, hawker centre discoveries, and travel food content that doubles as a bucket list.
Her November 2022 mochi-making video racked up over 30 million views, and her review of a Malaysian hawker centre in Guildford, Sydney, pulled 400,000 views and sent crowds flooding to the tiny stall.
TikTok: @michaelfinch | Followers: 2.7M+ | Based in: Australia
Michael Finch pulled off one of the most impressive creator pivots in Australian social media. Starting out over a decade ago as a beauty influencer and becoming a leading voice in male beauty content on YouTube, he completely reinvented himself as a food creator. The gamble paid off spectacularly. TikTok crowned him Food Creator of the Year at their 2024 Awards, and his community of 2.7 million followers tunes in for his warm, comforting approach to home cooking. His Buldak ramen videos became a series in their own right, and his one-pot pasta content is the definition of "save for later" material.
Cosy comfort food recipes, one-pot meals, Buldak ramen creations, pasta dishes, and the kind of relaxed cooking energy that makes even weeknight dinners feel like an event.
Winning TikTok Australia's Food Creator of the Year in 2024 cemented his transition from beauty guru to one of the country's most-watched food creators.
TikTok: @cookingwithayeh | Followers: 2.4M+ | Based in: Sydney, NSW
Ayeh Manfre turned a two-year recovery from a back injury into one of Australia's most beloved food channels. Raised in Sydney with a Persian heritage, she spent most of her career in finance before being homebound in 2018. Cooking became her creative outlet, and what started as sharing recipes with friends snowballed into a community of 2.4 million TikTok followers who come for her plant-based, mostly vegetarian recipes. She brings Persian, Italian and Mediterranean flavours to everyday cooking, proving that eating well does not have to mean spending hours in the kitchen.
Plant-based and vegetarian recipes, Persian and Mediterranean cooking, healthy everyday meals, gluten-free and low-carb options, and food that looks incredible without requiring a culinary degree.
Her giant peanut butter cups recipe, made with just four ingredients, went viral across Australian media and became one of her most-saved videos, proving that simplicity wins on the platform.
TikTok: @aussiefitness | Followers: 4.4M+ | Based in: Australia
Dez Cerimagic is living proof that transformation content and food content are not mutually exclusive. After going from 135kg to 75kg by creating healthier alternatives to his favourite fast food, Dez turned that personal journey into a TikTok empire of 4.4 million followers. He is Australia's highest-earning food influencer, commanding an estimated $18,400 per post. His content sits at the intersection of fitness and food, turning McDonald's McChickens, KFC Zingers and Hungry Jack's Whoppers into macro-friendly versions that taste like the real thing. If you have ever thought healthy eating means giving up takeaway flavours, Dez will change your mind.
High-protein fast food recreations, weight loss meal prep, gym-friendly snacks, transformation motivation, and recipes that prove you can eat like you are cheating while hitting your macros.
His weight-loss butter chicken burrito video attracted 13.8 million views, becoming one of the most-watched Australian food videos on the platform and sparking a wave of healthy fakeaway content from other creators.
TikTok: @cheatmeats | Followers: 1.4M+ | Based in: Western Australia
The CheatMeats brothers turned a backyard BBQ obsession in Western Australia into a full-blown food empire. With 1.4 million TikTok followers and over 600,000 on Instagram, they have grown from weekend grillers to running corporate catering events, BBQ masterclasses and live stage demonstrations across the country. Their TikTok content is all about big, bold cooks. Think low-and-slow brisket, loaded burgers straight off the grill, and flavour-packed rubs that they now sell through their own product line. For anyone who thinks Australian food content is all about cafe brunches and avocado toast, CheatMeats is a necessary correction.
BBQ tutorials, brisket and ribs masterclasses, grilling tips and techniques, homemade rubs and sauces, and the kind of outdoor cooking content that makes you want to upgrade your setup immediately.
Their epic brisket cooks regularly pull millions of views, and their transition from backyard hobby to a genuine BBQ brand with product lines and corporate gigs is one of TikTok Australia's best creator-to-business stories.
TikTok: @audreysaurus | Followers: 1.3M+ | Based in: Australia
Audreysaurus started TikTok during quarantine in 2019 as a creative outlet, with no professional cooking background whatsoever. That authenticity turned out to be her superpower. She films recipes with heartfelt voiceovers, often explaining what the dish means to her personally, which creates a connection most polished food accounts simply cannot replicate. Her tanghulu video in August 2020 smashed through 8 million views and introduced the candied fruit trend to an Australian audience. She has since built a following of 1.3 million, collaborated with brands like KitchenAid, and been featured in publications including the Daily Mail.
Creative home cooking with personal storytelling, trending recipes like tanghulu and viral desserts, comfort food that carries emotional weight, and approachable content for people who do not consider themselves "cooks."
Her tanghulu (candied fruit) tutorial in August 2020 pulled over 8 million views and kicked off a wave of tanghulu content across Australian TikTok.
TikTok: @chebbo | Followers: 1.2M+ | Based in: Sydney, NSW
Ali Chebbani's story is the Australian dream, TikTok edition. He started making burgers in his driveway in Western Sydney for family and friends, filming the process for fun. TikTok turned those clips into a movement. From a small marquee setup, he graduated to a food truck, and now runs his own restaurant, Chebbo's Burgers, in Marrickville. His 1.2 million followers have watched every step of the journey. The content is all burgers, all the time. Smash burgers, loaded fries, his famous fried onion burger. It is unapologetically single-minded, and his audience loves him for it.
Smash burger builds, loaded fries, behind-the-scenes restaurant content, the driveway-to-restaurant entrepreneurial journey, and burger content so satisfying it borders on ASMR.
TikTok Australia featured his origin story as a #TikTokSparksGood success case. The driveway-to-Marrickville-restaurant arc is one of the platform's most compelling Australian creator journeys.
TikTok: @stephcooksstuff | Followers: 717K+ | Based in: Australia
Steph Pase, also known as Steph de Sousa, first caught Australia's attention on MasterChef in 2019. Since then she has built a food media empire spanning three cookbooks (including the recently released No Stress Recipe Queen), a TV series called The Frugal Foodie, a meal plan subscription service, and over 3.2 million followers across platforms. Her TikTok is the home of budget-friendly family cooking. Dinner for under $10 using ingredients from Woolworths or ALDI, quick desserts, and no-fuss meals that anyone can pull off on a Tuesday night. In a cost-of-living crisis, her content is more relevant than ever.
Budget meals under $10, quick weeknight dinners, ALDI and Woolworths recipe hacks, family-friendly cooking, and the kind of practical content that actually saves you money at the checkout.
Her budget dinner challenge series, proving you can feed a family a proper meal for under $10, struck a nerve during the cost-of-living squeeze and became some of her most-shared content.
TikTok: @recipetineats | Followers: 500K+ | Based in: Sydney, NSW
Nagi Maehashi is arguably Australia's most influential food creator, full stop. Since launching RecipeTin Eats in 2014, she has built a recipe empire that spans a blog with millions of monthly visitors, 2 million Instagram followers, bestselling cookbooks, and a growing TikTok presence. Two of Australia's top ten bestselling books in 2025 were hers. Her cookbook Tonight won Illustrated Book of the Year at the 2025 Australian Book Industry Awards. On TikTok, she brings the same philosophy that made her blog famous: accessible, family-friendly recipes with the "wow" factor, designed for real people cooking real dinners on real budgets.
Reliable family dinner recipes, cookbook previews and tutorials, budget-friendly meals with big flavour, and the kind of tested, trusted content that you can follow without second-guessing the quantities.
Two bestselling cookbooks hitting Australia's top ten in a single year is a feat no other food creator can claim. Her MasterChef guest appearances have also introduced her to an entirely new audience on TikTok.
TikTok: @jennnnaaayy | Followers: 593K+ | Based in: Hunter Valley, NSW
Jen Hanlon brings something to the food space that most creators do not: genuine warmth that goes beyond the recipe. Based in the Hunter Valley, the mum and TikTok creator shares budget-friendly family meals alongside real conversations about mental health and reducing food waste. Her recipes are designed for people spending $10 to $20 on ingredients to feed a household, and her community of over 593,000 followers (with 25 million likes) shows up as much for the person as they do for the food. She also runs an eco-friendly products business through her website, making her one of the more entrepreneurial creators on this list.
Budget family dinners, homemade pizza, easy desserts, food waste reduction tips, and content that combines practical cooking advice with genuine conversations about wellbeing.
Her hot cross bun French toast recipe became a seasonal favourite, and her honest conversations about the mental load of family cooking have resonated deeply with her audience, earning millions of views across multiple videos.
TikTok: @khanhong | Followers: 426K+ | Based in: Melbourne, VIC
Khanh Ong went from MasterChef fan favourite to chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and TV presenter. He is part owner of The George on Collins in Melbourne, has hosted his own SBS series Khanh Ong's Wild Food, and was brought back as a guest on MasterChef Australia in 2026. His TikTok is a refreshing mix of tongue-in-cheek humour and serious cooking skill. His Table for One series, where he cooks exciting meals just for himself, tackles the underrepresented world of cooking-for-one content. His Vietnamese-Australian background gives his recipes a distinct identity that sets him apart from the crowd.
Vietnamese-Australian fusion recipes, cooking for one, restaurant-quality dishes at home, behind-the-scenes chef life, and food content that celebrates cultural identity with genuine humour.
The launch of his SBS show Khanh Ong's Wild Food brought a surge of new followers to his TikTok, with viewers wanting more of his adventurous approach to Australian ingredients.
TikTok: @abrakebabra_reviews | Followers: 236K+ | Based in: Sydney, NSW
Self-proclaimed "King of Food Reviews," AbraKebabra has carved out a unique niche by focusing on what Australians actually eat late at night: kebabs, charcoal chicken, family-run takeaway shops and the hidden gems that never make it onto mainstream food media. Based in Sydney but reviewing food across the country, his content is built on supporting small, family-run businesses and celebrating the multicultural food landscape that makes Australian cities unlike anywhere else. With 236,000 followers and 7.3 million likes, he has proven there is a massive audience for authentic, no-frills street food reviews.
Kebab reviews, late-night food runs, hidden gem discoveries, small business spotlights, and honest reviews of the kind of takeaway joints that locals swear by but tourists never find.
His kebab review tours across Sydney's western suburbs regularly pull hundreds of thousands of views, with the comment sections turning into heated debates about the best kebab shop in every suburb.
TikTok: @bechardgrave | Followers: 205K+ | Based in: Brisbane, QLD
Brisbane fitness coach Bec Hardgrave has earned the title "Fakeaway Queen" for her ability to reverse-engineer popular fast food items into macro-friendly, lower-calorie versions using basic supermarket ingredients. McDonald's Tim Tam Hotcakes, Boost Juice smoothies, KFC Twisters, Betty's Burgers, Grill'd burgers. If Australians queue for it, Bec has probably made a healthier version of it. Her recipes come with full macro breakdowns, making her the go-to creator for anyone tracking their nutrition without wanting to eat plain chicken and broccoli every night. With 205,000 TikTok followers, she is a rising force in the space.
Fakeaway recipes of popular Australian fast food chains, macro-friendly meal prep, high-protein versions of comfort food, and Woolworths ingredient hacks that make healthy eating actually enjoyable.
Her Grill'd burger fakeaway recipe, complete with a DIY herbed mayo using Woolworths' own Grill'd-style sauce, went viral and had viewers rushing to their local supermarket to recreate it.
TikTok: @notmelbfoodieee | Followers: 200K+ | Based in: Melbourne, VIC
Ailene has been creating Melbourne food content for over four years, and her signature style is instantly recognisable: calming ASMR-style voiceovers paired with vibrant, beautifully shot food photography. She covers Melbourne's dining scene with the eye of someone who genuinely loves the city, from hole-in-the-wall dumpling spots to high-end restaurants and everything in between. Brand collaborations with the likes of DoorDash and major local restaurants have followed naturally. Her videos regularly hit millions of views, and she has become one of the most trusted voices for anyone looking for their next Melbourne food experience.
Melbourne restaurant reviews, ASMR food content, cafe and dessert discoveries, dining guides for visitors and locals, and food content that is as satisfying to watch as the meal itself.
Her ASMR-style halo halo dessert review at Piccolina Gelateria captured the attention of Melbourne's food community and showcased her ability to turn a single dish into appointment viewing.
Australian food TikTok has matured from a novelty into a genuine marketing channel. The creators on this list are not just entertainers. They are trusted voices with loyal communities that engage at rates traditional media can only dream of. When Andy Cooks uses a product, millions of home cooks see it in a context that feels genuine. When Bites With Lily reviews a restaurant, it fills up the next day. When Steph Pase features a Woolworths ingredient, it flies off the shelves. This is influence that translates directly into commercial outcomes.
For brands looking to enter this space, the rules are different from traditional advertising. Food TikTok audiences are allergic to anything that feels forced or overly branded. The creators who deliver the best results for brand partners are the ones given creative freedom to integrate products naturally into their existing content style. The opportunity is enormous, but only for brands willing to trust the creator and invest in genuine partnerships rather than one-off sponsored posts.
PRO TIP
The most successful brand collaborations on food TikTok feel native to the creator's style. Work with creators who genuinely use or would use your product, give them creative freedom to present it in their own format, and measure success by engagement and sentiment rather than just reach. Forced integration is immediately visible to audiences and damages both the brand and the creator.
As of 2026, Andy Cooks (Andy Hearnden) holds the title with over 6 million TikTok followers. His "Hey, Babe" recipe format helped him build one of the largest food audiences on the platform globally, not just in Australia.
Michael Finch was crowned Food Creator of the Year at the TikTok Awards 2024, following his successful pivot from beauty content to home cooking.
Steph Pase (The Frugal Foodie) and Jennnnaaayy (Jen Hanlon) are the standout creators for budget meals, both regularly sharing family dinner recipes for under $10 to $20 using everyday supermarket ingredients.
Dez Cerimagic (Aussie Fitness) and Bec Hardgrave are the top creators for healthy eating content. Dez focuses on high-protein fast food recreations, while Bec specialises in macro-friendly "fakeaway" versions of popular Australian fast food chains.
Bites With Lily covers Sydney and beyond, Ailene (notmelbfoodieee) is the go-to for Melbourne dining, and AbraKebabra Reviews specialises in hidden gem takeaway spots and kebab shops across the country.
At FORWARD, we help consumer brands connect with Australia's most influential creators through earned media and influencer strategy that drives real results. From creator strategy to campaign execution, we know how to turn creator partnerships into coverage, conversation and commercial outcomes. Get in touch to find out how we can help your brand tap into the creator economy.
