Clare Andrews, The Air Fry Angel – Women Talking talks to the Clare Andrews a passionate home cook and social media sensation, with a No.1 Sunday Times best-seller.
Clare’s culinary journey began in the early lockdowns of 2020 when she was gifted an air fryer. Initially unsure of what to create beyond the classic chips, Clare’s curiosity and love for cooking led her to explore the full potential of this versatile kitchen gadget. As she began sharing her quick, delicious, and innovative air fryer recipes on Instagram, her passion resonated with many. Clare quickly amassed a dedicated following of over 100,000 fans eager to learn from her expertise.
Her success didn’t stop there. Clare’s first air fryer cookbook has become a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller, solidifying her status as a leading voice in the world of accessible, budget-friendly cooking.
- Personal Journey and Inspiration
Can you tell us about your journey into the culinary world? What inspired you to start cooking and eventually share your passion online?
I first discovered the magic of air frying during the 2020 lockdown after being gifted an air fryer from my mum. I really wasn’t sure at first, it sat on the side in my kitchen for ages! I wasn’t sure what to make beyond the usual frozen chips and beige food. I started to experiment and shared my creations on my Instagram account @airfryeruk.
How did the idea of focusing on air fryers come about? Was there a specific moment or experience that led you to become the “Air Fryer Angel”?
I really enjoyed experimenting with my air fryer and at that time there were very few air fryer cookbooks or online recipes with metric measurements, so I decided to change that. My Instagram following really took off so I stuck with it.
What does food and cooking mean to you personally? How has your relationship with food evolved over the years?
I have always loved to cook; it’s always been a huge passion of mine and I love cooking for family and friends. I find cooking is a way torelax and wind down, there’s nothing better than my music on in the kitchen, a glass of wine and cooking a meal for dinner that evening, it’s just the best!
- Social Media Success
Your social media presence has grown tremendously. What do you think has resonated most with your audience?
I think it’s my relaxed and natural style, it’s not too polished and I think it resonates with my audience. I don’t try too hard and be something I’m not, I make mistakes like all of us, and I guess I just try to be me.
How do you balance creating content that is both engaging and educational?
I try and make sure I cover all basis when I post, just so I’m not over complicating things! With my content, I try to make each recipe simple and easy to follow, with ingredients that we all have in our cupboards.
Social media can sometimes be overwhelming. How do you manage the pressure of consistently producing content while staying true to your passion?
I’m not too sure I do! If I’m honest, social media can really be a challenge at times. I just can’t keep up with all the different trends. So, I just try and keep it authentic and real. It has definitely become a harder to grow organically due to the sheer volume of food influencers.
- Air Fryer Expertise
What are some common misconceptions people have about air fryers?
I think a lot of people are just unsure and a little nervous on how to use it, just like I was. I totally understand this as some can be rather complicated to use, especially when you first get it. My advice is always to take your time and get to know your machine. Start with cooking something easy, like sausages and the more confident you get using your air fryer, the more adventurous you’ll become.
What’s your favourite unexpected dish that can be made in an air fryer?
The unexpected dish for me was a lasagne, I now always use my air fryer to cook it.
- Cookbook Success
Your cookbook became a No.1 Sunday Times best-seller. How did it feel to achieve that milestone?
If I’m honest, I still pinch myself; I still cannot believe it. There are so many unbelievable cookbook authors out there, and to reach No1, was a dream come true. It really helped that I was involved in five Channel 5 air fryer TV programmes this year.
What was the process like for creating and curating the recipes in your book? Were there any challenges you didn’t anticipate?
It’s my favourite thing to do! I absolutely love creating new recipes, and going through the process of perfecting a dish, then the best part is eating it! It gives me so much pleasure creating recipes, it can of course be tricky at times, as each individual tastes are so different, but that’s a great challenge to have.
If you could pick one recipe from your cookbook that everyone should try, what would it be and why?
From The Ultimate Air Fryer Cookbook, I would choose the sausage and pepper bake, it’s so easy and one of my go-tos if I need an easy mid-week meal.
From the air fryer to the slow cooker, Clare is on a mission to help home cooks everywhere create mouth-watering meals with minimal effort by letting their kitchen equipment do the work. Her new book ‘The Ultimate Air Fryer Cookbook: One Basket Meals’ is available from 7th November, pre-order your copy on AMAZON now.
Poppy Watt