We were saddened to learn that Narayana Reddy, known as Grandpa to his millions of subscribers around the world, passed away on October 27, 2019. He received a beautiful send-off on his channel entitled Grandpa’s An Emotional and heart touching final journey | grandpa kitchen. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones. Grandpa’s memory will live on in the people he helped and inspired to aid those in need.

Millions of people around the world cook daily. They cook because they’re hungry. They cook for fun. One man from Telangana, India, Narayana Reddy, cooks to improve the lives of orphans.

In only a year, Reddy’s YouTube channel “Grandpa Kitchen” exploded to over 4.7 million subscribers and amassed more than 451 million views. There are 185 videos on his channel, which would mean his channel’s been averaging about 2.4 million views per video! What’s led to this dynamic rise in popularity?

If there’s one consistent draw, it’s the charitable goal of each video. In the videos, Grandpa, as he was called, teamed up with three other men to make absolutely gargantuan meals. The food wasn’t for them — they donated all of it to local orphans or those in need.

The food wasn’t for them — they donated all of it to local orphans or those in need.

There’s also an intriguing simplicity and authenticity to the videos. The channel is run by Grandpa’s son, Shrikant Reddy, and each video is well-produced with slick visuals that add a modern flare to the truly simple and organic cooking that Grandpa brings. The cooking is all done outside, often over an open fire. The rustic quality enhances charitable charm of Grandpa and his channel.

As if all that weren’t enough, the channel’s principle statement is “Loving. Caring. Sharing. This is my family.” How could you not be inspired by that? Just by watching a 10- to 15-minute video where they cook massive portions of food, you could play a small part in helping to brighten up a child’s life. Grandpa’s videos are monetized, meaning every view helps further his cause. That’s a powerful reason to watch a video on the internet!

What’s the Catch?

In this day and age, it’s hard to imagine anyone could be that good. If someone does something funny or inspiring and becomes a hit, we’re used to hearing about something unsavory in their past. There’s even a term to describe this type of person — “milkshake duck.” But for all our digging, we couldn’t find a single negative story about Grandpa. In fact, a Google search of “Grandpa Kitchen controversy” delivers results about just how charitable he was!

Grandpa genuinely did good things, making an incredibly positive mark on his community for some of the most disadvantaged people in the world.

Perhaps that’s what’s so appealing about Grandpa and his team. He genuinely did good things, making an incredibly positive mark on his community for some of the most disadvantaged people in the world. The only “fault” we found leveled toward Grandpa Kitchen is that there’s another person doing similar work whose YouTube channel is called Village Food Factory. Both channels help their local communities and are very worth supporting, though! It’s not really controversial if more than one person tries to fill a need with the same good deed, is it?

What Kind of Food Does He Make?

Curious readers out there who haven’t already checked out Grandpa Kitchen may be wondering what kind of food he made. Grandpa’s repertoire of meals was incredibly varied. Those with less adventurous palates will appreciate many of his videos that almost seemed geared toward attracting the attention of Westerners. Videos like KFC Chicken Popcorn Recipe or Oreo Milkshake should appeal to even the pickiest of eaters. If you’re looking for something a little different, you could check out his videos for Schezwan fried rice or Christmas cake. Want something a little more traditional from Grandpa? Then his videos on mutton gravy curry and country chicken biryani are right up your alley.

One thing to keep in mind is that these aren’t cooking videos as you normally might picture them. There aren’t precise instructions on how to cook the dishes like, “Dice these onions thin and add a tbsp of butter.” You’ll see how he makes the food and get some basic instructions. But, in regard to intricate cooking methods and delicate balances of flavors, this channel is unlike other cooking channels on YouTube.

How Can I Follow and Support Grandpa?

The simplest ways to support Grandpa Kitchen’s cause are subscribing to his YouTube channel and watching his videos. As we mentioned, his videos are monetized, so his cause gets a little money through views and advertising. Subscribing helps make sure you never miss a video. Following Grandpa Kitchen on Facebook and Twitter are also great ways to keep updated on his channel’s videos. If you like the videos, don’t forget to share them with your friends to get Grandpa’s channel even more views and subscribers!

Grandpa Kitchen and his team set up a page on the crowdfunding site Patreon, where the goal is to ‘provide basic necessities like food, clothing, school supplies and birthday gifts to the orphans.’

Additionally, there’s another way that you can support Grandpa Kitchen’s cause more directly. Grandpa Kitchen and his team set up a page on the crowdfunding site Patreon. Patreon essentially works as a subscription service that sends a pledged amount to the creator each month. Generally, you’ll get extra content or videos in return. Grandpa Kitchen’s goal is to “provide basic necessities like food, clothing, school supplies and birthday gifts to the orphans.”

● ● ●

Grandpa Reddy was the perfect example of someone who took the innovation of the internet and crafted it into a powerhouse for charity. With his team, and an astounding amount of food, he fashioned a cozy nook on the internet that has allowed him to change the lives of orphans in need for the better.

Further Reading

Latestly — Grandpa Kitchen, Indian YouTube Star Whose Dedication Towards Orphans is Winning the Internet

Subscription numbers up-to-date as of 5/6/2019