Life in HEATTECH with Andy Allen
Jun 24, 2021
LifeWear
Find out how everyday people wear UNIQLO's HEATTECH.
Andy wears the Men’s Ultra Warm HEATTECH L/S T-Shirt with Men’s UNIQLO U Corduroy Padded Blouson and Men’s Slim Fit Jeans.
UNIQLO is led by the brand’s philosophy of LifeWear where clothing is designed to make everyone’s life better. It is simple, high-quality, everyday clothing that is inspired by life’s needs. This winter, UNIQLO is featuring conversations with real, everyday Aussies who work, play and live in our HEATTECH range. UNIQLO’s HEATTECH range, driven by technology and innovation, serves as a base layer or thermal to help keep you warm during the colder months.
Andy Allen (@andyallencooks) is a chef, restaurateur and is probably most widely known as a former contestant and now judge on the highly popular TV series - MasterChef Australia. Andy was the winner in MasterChef Australia season 4 in 2012 and since becoming a household name, has hosted several cooking shows as well as opened the restaurant concept, Three Blue Ducks, alongside co-owners Mark Labrooy and Darren Robertson with five locations across Australia.
When Andy is not on camera, you’ll find him watching sport or travelling across the country, HEATTECH in tow.
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What sparked your passion for cooking?
To be honest it took me competing on MasterChef as a contestant for me to realise how much I loved cooking. The great thing about the show (and sometimes the worst) is that the vast array of challenges are designed to push you to your limits day in and day out - and when you personally start to excel in things you never thought were possible, it's pretty addictive.
Tell us what it felt like winning Masterchef back in 2012 at only 24 years old.
Shocking! And I think it probably took me a few years to really understand what I had achieved. To think that I went on the show with pretty limited cooking skills and fought my way through challenge after challenge to win the best reality show in the world (in my opinion!), it still feels pretty special! Especially when I think about the career I have now, which wouldn't have been possible if I didn't fill out that application all those years ago.
From a Masterchef contestant, to host of Farm To Fork and Andy And Ben Eat Australia and now a Masterchef judge, what is it about the TV cooking format that keeps on bringing you back?
For me, I love to learn. And whether it be exploring Australia filming Eat Aus, or being surrounded by incredible talent in the MasterChef kitchen, you're always learning something new. That's what keeps me engaged and excited about food and coming back for more.
Andy layers his Men’s UNIQLO U HEATTECH Cotton Crew Neck L/S T-Shirt with a Men’s +J Double Face Oversized Work Jacket and Men’s Vintage Regular Fit Chino Pants.
What would we find in your suitcase when you’re shooting on location?
Often when we're on the road, we're covering huge kilometres which means many different climates and temperatures. I'll always have my board shorts or wetsuit for a dive, and when on land, UNIQLO’s HEATTECH range is a game changer - I can pack all three levels of warmth depending on where in Australia I am headed. After a few freezing outdoor cooks in Victoria and Tassie you start to learn that it's all about the layers!
Other than cooking, what are you most passionate about?
Look, there's no getting around the fact that I'm a sports nut, which is no surprise really as when I was growing up I played as much sport as I possibly could. My favourites at the moment are NBA and AFL, but as my fiance reminds me, I'd watch anything. If I'm not following sport, I love to travel. As much as COVID-19 has been the ultimate downer, it's really made me appreciate even more what we have in our backyard here in Australia, so I'm still loving exploring our 'backyard', even for weekend drives like one I just took from Sydney down to our restaurant in Nimbo, then on to Melbourne.
What can we expect to see from you over the next year?
Well the big news is, it looks as though we'll be making the full-time move from Sydney to Melbourne right at the start of winter. Which means two things - I'll be spending a lot more time at our Melbourne Three Blue Ducks restaurant at Urbnsurf, but also - bring on the Ultra Warm HEATTECH!!!
Andy’s HEATTECH picks:
Men’s Ultra Warm HEATTECH L/S T-Shirt
Men’s UNIQLO U HEATTECH Cotton Crew Neck L/S T-Shirt
Shop the Men's HEATTECH Range
Learn more about HEATTECH
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