Maritime chef switches careers to food content creation

From cook to content creator, Peter Earley is spicing up social media with his fun food reviews.

Many know Peter Earley as @earlypete on TikTok or as the expressive face behind food content in the Maritimes, but many may not know how he got where he is today.

“I was a chef for about a decade then went back to university – proud Dal graduate – and I got into the marketing and communications world. I worked for a couple great big Canadian food and beverage companies,” says Earley.

When the pandemic hit, Earley’s career took a surprising turn.

“I got together with my friend Tony Kale, who is also a content creator, and we started working on some projects, one of which blossomed into being a TikTok creator,” says Earley.

His fanbase grown with him along this journey, reaching more than half a million TikTok followers.

“The bigger I have gotten, it’s become harder and harder to really picture the audience, picturing a room with 500,000 people is quite literally impossible,” says Earley.

Earley described his content as anything and everything food related.

“You know, if it’s a weird regional condiment or a great local spot or who has the best club sandwich in the Maritimes, I am willing to cover it and talk about it. And I do a little bit of sketch comedy on the side,” says Earley.

Earley says he is constantly learning in this career, which makes it exciting.

“You kind of have to build the set up you need, and I’ve learned an awful lot about, you know, everything from construction to video filming to lighting and everything in between,” says Earley.

Early has a political science degree and a background in the culinary world.

“I have some great friends who I have definitely leaned on for a lot of information,” says Earley. “It’s sort of like if you work with really good people, you will learn a lot very quickly and so I think that’s what I have been incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to do.”

Earley says occasionally people will recognize him and introduce themselves.

“The place where I am most consistently recognized is Costco, which is just hilarious because very frequently I will be wearing my dirtiest clothes and hair unkept. I’d love it if I got recognized when I am more glamorous,” says Earley.

Earley is very grateful to be in the local food content market in the Maritimes and his focus has evolved over time.

“There was a mindset when I started out that the more local you go, the less of a chance you have to really blow up. I don’t know if I am going to get a video that has nine million views when I review a local Halifax cafe, that’s probably not going to happen. But with this looming TikTok ban in the United States, I am loving pushing this more local stuff because we have a ton of great spots in Halifax,” says Earley.

Earley also prides himself in his candid opinions on each product he reviews and food he tastes.

“The majority of time I don’t contact the people who own the restaurant partly because I don’t want special treatment, I don’t want my meal for free or a bias that influences what I consider somewhat of a journalistic endeavor,” he says.

“My dream would be to showcase the regional pizzas of Canada. I am a huge pizza fan and am competing in a big pizza competition in Toronto in April.”