Instagram/@gordongram
Ramsay posted a picture that shows the picture-perfect, glossy magazine shot of a beef wellington from a fancy restaurant, and the first response struck me as a sort of uncomfortable and mean joke about Australia. I don’t know how a well-shared photograph of food with a creamy side mash has anything to do with the public fixations on the… I guess Australia? And mushrooms? These seemed to be the titillating ingredients to a scandal: a bizarre and unrelated salve to two bromantic Broadway scandals.
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The post was, of course, a proper classic, from the fully golden, slightly crispy wellington to the enjoyment of the proper cut, including the brand logo from the Savoy grill. The wellington featured a modest serving of creamy mashed potatoes, some adorning herbs, and a bit of glazed onions. The dish was elegantly placed on a dark marble tabletop, and the accompanying fork was a simple, stylish touch. This post was refreshing, especially because people fully expected him to show the flagship level of gourmand mastery.
People were commenting entirely off the mark. Astonishingly, rather than simply appreciate the image, people’s comments revolved around an obscure news story out of Australia. Most bizarrely, a woman from Australia was prosecuted for murder in the headlines after serving deadly mushrooms to her in-laws, in which three people were killed. It’s a bizarre, unfortunate story that, for some reason, crossed people’s minds as they dined virtually with Gordon.
The comment that gained the most attention was “The beef Wellington in Australia will become like the famous ‘a dingo ate my baby.’” The comment is strange and unneeded, but the point came across clearly. It referred to the notorious true-crime case while linking it to a dish, which is an example of the internet’s dark humour.
Adding to the commentary, someone said, “Not made by Australia’s mushroom lady. 😂,” which is an insensitive and inappropriate joke about the serious issue of the accused in the strange ‘murder by mushrooms’ case. The serious fine dining post is the last proper place to put a joke regarding this. The inappropriate comment is quite popular, which is a mystery to me.
The phrase “We don’t talk about the beef Wellington in Australia🤡” is an example of a country’s inside joke where no one speaks but silently agrees to not address the matter. The comment captures the absurdness of the issue and the unwillingness to explain it. Someone responded to this comment with, “hahaha! I was thinking the same thing 😂,” which highlights a shared feeling.
While the comments are dark, a few are trying to focus on the food itself. One user mentioned, “For such portions it’s probably worth 100 dollars,” which, for a Ramsay restaurant, is likely an underestimate, but it’s a valid comment. Another mentioned, “Going to Mickey Ds after that,” which is in some way the ultimate backhanded compliment. The food looks so fancy and unattainable that the next move is to look for the complete antithesis to it.
It’s an unusual virtual incident. Gordon Ramsay uploads a picture of an exquisite meal, and people react to it with McDonald’s, price guessing, and even true crime mentions. The Australian mushroom case seems to stick in people’s minds so much that it overrides everything else, even a post from a world-renowned chef. It exemplifies how a notable piece of current news can utterly change the context of other online content. Nobody talked about the sear on the beef or the flakiness of the pastry; rather, the conversation was about a completely different meal in a different part of the world. The internet is an odd place. Sometimes you just put food up and unwittingly bring up a recent national scandal. Oh well, the world we live in.
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In this case, the dish in question serves as a reminder of the culinary arts, showcasing Ramsay’s fiery energy in the kitchen. It’s unfortunate how the focus shifted away from such talent to a grim narrative. There’s certainly a lot to say about the culinary skills being highlighted here, even amidst the chaos of social media.