Andrew Richardson

Andrew Richardson is a cook born in Newcastle, England, whose career was shaped by kitchens in Newcastle and Vancouver and by a style that moved from English brigade discipline toward a more ingredient-led West Coast register. He studied at Manchester Metropolitan University, then learned the demands of restaurant work in Newcastle, where pace, precision, and stamina defined the kitchens that formed him. He worked as sous chef under Chef Terence Laybourne at 21 Queen Street in Newcastle, then went on to become Head Chef at Brasserie 21 in Newcastle. Those years established the base of his cooking: clean flavors, restraint, and control over display. In 1999, Vancouver marked the next shift in his career and opened a broader Pacific frame for his work. He arrived as Executive Sous Chef at Cioppino’s in Vancouver, then continued as Executive Sous Chef at West in Vancouver. He later became Executive Chef at Araxi Restaurant + Oyster Bar in Whistler before moving into part ownership at Blink in Calgary. Across those roles, his approach expanded in range while retaining a classic structure and an Italian vocabulary shaped by travel and repetition rather than flourish. Richardson is now Executive Chef of CinCin Ristorante + Bar and Executive Chef of Elisa Steak. At CinCin, the work has been defined by discipline, ingredient quality, patience, and a clear style built from repetition. His cooking reflects a belief in simplicity and in the interaction of prime ingredients on the plate. He has described the value of staying with a subject long enough to understand what lies beneath it, and that attention to structure and clarity is central to his kitchen practice. Italy sits at the center of his reference points, not as nostalgia but as a practical source of direction. He carried CinCin in mind through his travels in Italy, using that experience to inform the cooking without imitation. The signature tied to his work, CinCin: Wood-Fired Cucina, points to a kitchen built around fire, directness, and the handling of good ingredients without excess. It reflects a quiet kind of definition, grounded in heat, timing, restraint, and the disciplined treatment of the plate. Across his career, the consistent thread has been a preference for strong products, measured composition, and a cooking style that lets the essentials lead.