It’s all happening on The Cook Up; Adam Liaw is returning for a new season, the show will celebrate its 500th episode, and there is set to be a very special NAIDOC Week edition honouring First Nations cooking expertise.
The 500-episode milestone is particularly impressive considering the popular cooking show is only in its second year, and on its fifth season.
The show premiered on April 19, 2021, with Liaw at the helm, and has consistently aired on weeknights ever since. Season five will air on weekdays on SBS On Demand from Monday, July 3 and at 7pm weeknights on SBS Food. All episodes from previous seasons are available to stream on SBS On Demand.
The series sees two “foodie friends” join host Liaw to cook up some delicious meals together. Throughout the seasons MKR judge Colin Fassnidge, TV personality Yumi Stynes and singer-songwriter Emma Donovan have all appeared on the show. The new season will see some previous kitchen guests including Luke Powell, Linda Marigliano, Tom Walton and Bjorn Stewart come back to cook with Liaw again.
Host, Liaw, says: “The public response to The Cook Up has truly been extraordinary. Everywhere I go people tell me that it’s part of their nightly routine. I see people cooking recipes from the show and tagging me on social media daily, people sending their questions in for us to answer on air, and so many parents who tell us their kids watch the show and learn to cook every single night.
“In Season 5 we’re back with some of the biggest global stars in food, but our focus is always local. We’ve got great ideas for everyday cooking, but we’ll also show you how to throw a great Friday night dinner party, and the food truly reflects how we all cook in Australia. Everything we cook on The Cook Up is real food that really makes sense to Australians. SBS’ continued support for The Cook Up has been incredible, and with Season 5 taking us over 500 episodes we’re officially the largest ever commissioned program in SBS history.”
Emily Griggs, SBS head of food, says “There’s nothing better than getting together with friends over great food and The Cook Up invites you to do that every episode. This season SBS and The Cook Up team celebrated an extraordinary milestone of 500 episodes. It continues to bring a feast of menu ideas from nibbles through to desserts.”
Season five will kick off with a celebration for NAIDOC Week, and Nornie Bero of Melbourne’s Mabu Mabu will take over the reins from Liwa for the week-long event. Special guests will include Gail Mabo, Arabella Douglas, Bjorn Stewart, Damian Coulthard, Kristy Dickinson, Jody Orcher, Rowdie Walden, Kirsten Banks, Matty Mills and Christian Hampson.