After two years at the helm of one of Glasgow’s busiest kitchens, the head chef known as a master of ‘filthy street food and vegan delights’ has said goodbye to Bloc+. 

Turkey dinosaur garnishes, Come Dine with Me drama and a love affair with the deep fat fryer which infamously didn’t stop at desserts, Andy Neilson has done in at all during his time at the Bath Street bar and restaurant. 

After announcing the shock news of his departure this week, the chef has spoken frankly of how a number of factors, both professional and personal, led him to the difficult decision. 

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“I’ve had a good few sleepless nights over it in the past two months,” he tells our sister title The Herald over the phone from his home in Ayrshire. 

“I had started to feel like I was stagnating at Bloc+ and needed a new challenge. 

“It happens to a lot of chefs, especially the ones like me with brains that go a million miles an hour. 

“A lot of people think that of our food as gimmicky because it’s not fine dining, but it’s packed out every day and the sheer volumes of orders hitting the kitchen makes for a highly stressful environment.

“I finally got to the point where enough was enough and it was time to go.” 

Tales of frantic shifts will come as no surprise to anyone who has indulged in a gut-busting trip to Bloc+ over the years. 

Whether it's during peak lunchtime hours, as the space fills with office workers, or in the evening as the students descend in search of late-night pizza, a table has always been considered prime real estate. 

But there is a new obstacle to the prime city centre location which has put a strain on both Andy and his former team in recent months. 

Andy said: “There’s a boy from Stewarton who works in the kitchen and has been having to leave the house at stupid o’clock to catch two different buses for the past two months because the public transport system is so unreliable. 

“I don’t live in Glasgow, and my car doesn't meet LEZ regulations, but I’m too old and grumpy to be gambling on catching a bus after a 12-hour kitchen shift. 

“I think wherever I go next will need to be slightly outside of the city centre because it’s getting too difficult.” 

Exactly where he will end up has been a hot topic of discussion amongst Andy’s regulars since he announced his split from Bloc+ on Monday. 

And they’re certainly not the only ones. 

“I did worry that I had made the wrong decision by walking away from a really good opportunity at a time when the industry is still recovering from covid,” he said. 

“But, as soon as Bloc+ posted an advert for a new head chef online, my Instagram inbox started to blow up. 

“It was all so surprising, and I’ve already had a good few offers for places to go to next.” 

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It’s exciting to think that a chef who has for years been synonymous with bargain lunch deals served in red plastic baskets could soon find a new space to get creative with his ‘million-mile-an-hour brain’. 

He said: “Not many folk know that my background is in fine dining so I started my career doing 16 or 17-hour kitchen shifts. 

“The kind where you have no social life and your Mrs hates you because you’re never home. 

“But street food has always been my thing. 

“I’d go down to London on holidays just to visit the new food stalls and vans. 

“I’d like to carry on with that vibe, no matter where I end up.” 

With so many of his own street food creations gracing the specials board at Bloc+ over the past two years, we wonder if Andy could be pushed to choose a favourite. 

Unsurprisingly, the answer is a dish that secured his victory on Come Dine with Me: The Professionals last year as he and front-of-house team member Pixie battled it out against some of Glasgow’s top kitchen teams. 

He does, however, reveal that not everyone was as impressed with his East meets West street food fusion. 

He said: “If I had to choose, it would be the ramen noodle-topped hotdog. 

“I’m always searching social media for the latest food trends but have never seen anything like it, especially served on a black bun. 

“Come Dine with Me was a great achievement although we did get a lot of hate for it on social media. 

“Some of it was directed at Pixie and me personally and others were slagging our food. 

“I know my stuff when it comes to what flavours work even though it looks bizarre. 

“A lot of good came from going on the show but we did attract some amount of attention from idiots with nothing better to do than watch daytime TV.” 

Not one to let internet trolls get him down, Andy wrapped up a final shift in Bloc+ last Sunday with portions of his hugely popular vegan-friendly chippie supper flying out of the kitchen. 

Although he jokes that ‘he doesn’t envy’ the next chef who will step into the high-pressure role, it’s clear that Bloc+ has meant more than just a pay cheque to the man who will always be known for being bold enough to batter a Sticky Toffee Pudding. 

He said: “I’m really proud of the work I’ve done over the last two years. 

“When I started, our menu wasn’t in the best place, and I feel like my food has managed to get people talking about Bloc+ again. 

“The guys and lassies in the kitchen, all the way from my sous chef to the boy that washes the dishes and front of house have been incredible. 

“This is the first job I’ve walked away from where I’m genuinely upset that I won’t be seeing them all every day. 

“It’s been an emotional week, but now I’m looking forward to some time off and whatever comes next.”