To many, Aaron Judge is the co-owner of a well-known restaurant located in Moray – and is more commonly referred to as The Bearded Chef.
But to close friends and family, his talents go far beyond this.
Residing in Kellas, Aaron has always had two passions in life — cooking and acting.
The first of the two, cooking, is something many people in Moray are aware of.
Why is that? Alongside his wife Kayleigh, the duo has run Elgin-based restaurant The Bearded Chef HQ since its launch in September 2020. Its sister restaurant, The Bearded Chef 1776, is due to open in Fochabers in late spring.
But the kitchen is not just the only place he’s the star of the show as he has also appeared in a series of acclaimed TV series and films, which are shown on Netflix, Amazon Prime and other streaming platforms.
The Crown, Good Omens and Outlander
Aaron first dipped his toes into the acting world “on a whim” in December 2019 after applying for a casting call for an ‘Argentine steel worker’ in Netflix series, The Crown.
The scene he featured in was shown in season four, episode four, and was filmed at Lybster Harbour in Caithness.
While filming, Aaron met a fellow supporting artist who recommended he join the casting agency they were with.
Having thoroughly enjoyed his time shooting, Aaron decided he would have nothing to lose in applying to another agency.
“I threw my hat in the ring thinking ‘what will be will be?’,” he added.
“I eventually began receiving availability requests and had quite a full diary. However, Covid-19 reared its ugly head.
“It meant a lot of projects booked for 2020 had to be postponed or cancelled.”
Despite this, the talent developed a close relationship with his agent and has been fortunate to be involved in popular TV series and big film productions.
These include:
- Netflix film The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star, starring Vanessa Hudgens
- Outlander
- Good Omens
He continued: “The experience is varied, and no two days are the same.
“I’ve had days when you just don’t stop and days where you are just waiting about, and I’ve even had days where you don’t even make it onto the set.
“The hours can be long. A 14-hour day is not unusual.”
Aaron has also filmed scenes in two new movies yet to be released/are still in production, however further information cannot be disclosed.
On Outlander: ‘The whole experience was surreal’
In terms of Aaron’s Outlander stint, this was a standout experience for the cook and has been his “favourite” acting job to date.
This is because he and his wife have been big fans of the drama series since it started, even dedicating a cocktail to it at their restaurant, known as The Sassenach.
Aaron said: “To go from watching it at home to being there on the set surrounded by the cast was an experience that I will never forget.
“I received a phone call from my agent, out of the blue.
“He said: ‘I’ve got some good news, and I’ve got some bad news. The good news is I’ve got you on Outlander, the bad news is you’re a redcoat’. He knows I am a Jacobite at heart.
“However, this was not going to stop me, to be honest. Playing the ‘bad guy’ did not faze me.”
The casting process involved Aaron sending a self-tape of himself reading a particular script.
Having never filmed one, he was adamant he wouldn’t get the part. But the talent prevailed and was asked to head to Glasgow for costume fittings soon after.
Aaron was involved in two scenes for series six, episode five, which streamed on Starz last Sunday.
One scene was a flashback to the days of Bonnie Prince Charlie and his boat trip to freedom, while the other involved Aaron leading a small outfit of redcoats who are tipped off about rebels during the time of the American Revolution.
Food on set
One important aspect of the filming process is what food and drink is available. Coming from a cooking background, Aaron could be a tougher critic in the crowd.
“Catering on set can vary,” he went on to say. “You normally get a cooked breakfast or hot roll with cereal, yoghurts and pastries, etc.
“For lunch, you get a choice of meal and normally a pudding will follow. But on one production, we ran over and the crew ordered pizza for everyone – this was a good day.
“Usually in the late afternoon, sandwiches and snacks are offered. Tea and coffee are always on hand to warm you up as it can get very cold on set.
“Sometimes the food is fantastic, other times not so much, and you have to eat on-the-go so to speak.”
Calum Richardson, who owns The Bay Fish and Chips in Stonehaven, travelled to an undisclosed area in Scotland last April to serve up his award-winning offering to the cast and crew who were filming the sixth season with Aaron.
The Sassenach
The Bearded Chef’s signature cocktail, The Sassenach, is currently on offer at The Bearded Chef HQ and will be available at the Fochabers restaurant when it opens.
Aaron said: “The Sassenach is a pet name that Jamie Fraser, the male lead in Outlander, has for his English wife Claire.
“Like myself being a Scot and Mrs Chef (Kayleigh) being English, it became a pet name for her. It also translates as ‘Outlander’, the name for the show itself.
“We feel it is a fitting tribute to our love of the series.”
The cocktail was created from Kayleigh’s favourite flavours. It includes Peach schnapps, Passoa, cranberry and orange.
The balancing act of cooking and filming
Balancing running a business and filming commitments has been a challenge for Aaron and his family.
But with Kayleigh taking the reins at home when he is elsewhere, he is never anxious.
He said: “We have a great team and my wife leads the way. They support her 100% which allows me to venture off on these adventures.
“I leave knowing that my wife and the gang are holding the fort and keeping all our guests well fed. It becomes a hot topic of discussion to where I am and which ‘stars’ am I meeting this week.
“I have received many casting requests, however due to an extremely busy wedding season, these will take a back seat over the summer.
“For now, all future work is hush-hush. However, I can say I have received an availability request for Outlander season seven…”
Aaron works alongside BBB talent agency, based in the north-east and operated from Grantown on Spey.