What Happened To Hell's Kitchen's Chef Andi Van Willigan?
When one hears the name Andi Van Willigan, one can't help but think of celebrity chef and hot-headed TV host Gordon Ramsay. Van Willigan served as Ramsay's sous chef, or second in command, for many years on "Hell's Kitchen” (seasons 7 to 14 and 16) and later joined him on his other hit shows like "Kitchen Nightmares,” "Hotel Hell,” and "Master Chef.” Van Willigan was indispensable as the British chef and restaurant mogul's right hand' in overseeing his restaurant holdings in the U.S., Hong Kong, and Canada (per Sysco). She was on the road more often than not, and when she wasn't traveling, she was opening restaurants or filming.
It was a grueling schedule, and Van Willigan had already spent years pursuing her goals and working her way up the corporate ladder with the Michael Mina Restaurant Group. Eventually, life happened – and with it the need for some work-life balance. She married Brice Cutspec, Ramsay's head of security (via the podcast "What Would You Ask") and they had their wedding reception on "Hell's Kitchen."
Marriage and the prospect of family spurred changes for Van Willigan. She left the Ramsay organization in 2015, and her work life looks different today.
Van Willigan: From 'Hell's Kitchen' to the kitchens of Sysco clients
Andi Van Willigan could no doubt tell us what working with Gordon Ramsay is really like, but she's too busy for that. Her life after "Hell's Kitchen” has included serving comfort food to diners on a vintage double-decker bus cruising the streets of Los Angeles (per Los Angeles Times) and serving as chef at the ultra-exclusive Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles. She liked "the creative freedom and the lifestyle” of being a club chef, but wasn't so keen on the members who wanted Wonder Bread and bologna on the menu (per Club + Resort Business). She accepted a position in Key Largo, Florida, serving as chef and senior director of outlets at Ocean Reef Country Club. There, "club life” involved overseeing more than 20 restaurants and more than a dozen chefs.
What is Van Willigan doing now? She and Brice Cutspec have two children (via Instagram), and she works as a culinary specialist for food service supplier Sysco, working one-on-one with customers in the Las Vegas region and coaching them on everything from concept and start-up to achieving their business goals (per Sysco). "I knew traveling 275 days out of the year I couldn't deal with a husband and two kids,” she told the hosts of the "Women Changing Our World” podcast. "I worked my butt off so now I can kind of pick and choose what I want to do.”