We recently had the chance to connect with Ashleigh Worthington and have shared our conversation below.
Ashleigh , really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I’m being called to use my voice in a way I wasn’t ready for before. I’ve never had a problem speaking up, but being comfortable in my own skin has made me unafraid to speak out. I believe my voice was given to me for a purpose, and now I’m leaning fully into it — sharing my perspective, telling real stories, and using this platform the way it was meant to be used.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m the creator behind The Peculiar Chef, a YouTube channel where I blend my professional chef background with the curiosity of a true food explorer. My whole brand is about spotlighting the spots most people overlook — the hole-in-the-wall kitchens, family-run counters, and under-the-radar gems serving food with soul. What makes it unique is the way I break things down: I’m a chef first, so I review through a culinary lens, but I keep it fun, weird, and honest — exactly how I am in real life.
The channel’s been growing fast, and right now I’m focused on taking viewers deeper into the food culture of every city I visit, expanding my storytelling, and building a community that’s just as obsessed with great food as I am.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a kid, I believed I wasn’t enough. I carried that for a long time. Now I know better. I’ve grown into who I am, I know my worth, and I show up fully without shrinking myself for anyone.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me things success never could. It taught me that it’s okay to fail — that every blessing comes with lessons, and every testimony comes from a test. The hard moments showed me what not to repeat and pushed me to grow in ways success never would’ve challenged me to. And by the grace of God, when I look back at those tough seasons, I can see how they prepared me for the situations I’m facing now. So when life gets heavy, I know it’s God preparing me for something bigger and better ahead.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely. The public version of me is the real me. Being myself — unapologetically — is the only way I know how to show up. What you see is exactly who I am, on and off camera.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What will you regret not doing?
What would I regret not doing? Starting sooner. I had the fire in me long before I took the leap, and looking back, the only thing I wish is that I had trusted myself earlier.
Contact Info:
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePeculiarChef
- Other: TikTok: @thepeculiarchef
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