Bio
Andrew Atkinson is a South African chef and television personality best known as a judge on the M-Net reality competition cooking series MasterChef South Africa, from 2012 - 2013.
The executive chef at the Michaelangelo Hotel in Johannesburg, Andrew has represented South Africa internationally in various culinary competition arenas and has cooked for various dignitaries and other VIPs including Nelson Mandela, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Phillip, Prince Charles, Bill Clinton, Thabo Mbeki, UB40, Sting and Whitney Houston.
While Andrew had his own company he ran various large and prestigious outside catering functions, to name a few: the Presidential Inauguration; the Evelyn Mandela Funeral; the Adelaide Tambo Funeral for 17,500 people; and various sporting events, including the A1GP for three years, various international and local rugby and cricket matches and a variety of large corporates.
He captained the SA National Culinary Team who competed at various competitions and SA promotions around the world.
Furthermore, he has represented South Africa at various international competitions, namely: Zimbabwe Salon Culinaire held in Zimbabwe; Culinary Olympics in Berlin; Scothot International Culinaire in Scotland; International Salmon Grand Prix in Ireland.
Andrew has also taken part in various SA food promotions in different countries: SA Food Festival at Hotel Berlina, Berlin; SA Food Festival at Mainz Hilton in Germany; SA Food Festival at the Rio Sheraton, Brazil, for the Cape to Rio yacht race.
Over the years he has appeared on various radio and TV programs and was one of the chefs on the SA version of Ready Steady Cook.
From 2012-2013 he was one of the head judges on the M-Net reality competition series MasterChef South Africa. At the end of 2013 he received an offer to fill the full-time position of Executive Chef for a hotel chain in Johannesburg - an opportunity that he couldn't turn down.His permanent responsibilities in his new role meant he could no longer commit to the busy schedule of the filming of the series and he was replaced by Reuben Riffel.