At Least the Terrible Cyber Poster Bought Out Some Glorious Food World Memes

Welcome back to Insta Stories, a column examining the London restaurant scene through the often-problematic medium of Instagram. This week’s filter is wooden.

News of the week

Ah, “Fatima.” The poster was bad, that much was obvious. It was crass and tone-deaf and actively insulting to people invested in the arts, or hospitality, or pretty much any job not in “cyber.” Unfortunately for the powers behind the Cyber First campaign, those are exactly the sort of people who excel at performing full Viking blood eagle execution rites on social media, and so Fatima — or rather, her poster, because, that is not the subject’s name — became one of 2020’s most widely circulated memes. Which leads, surreally and yet somehow also inevitably, to a world in which this exists.

Suddenly ubiquitous seasonal signifier of the week

Anyone who had “quinces” locked in for this week’s round of ingredient bingo, congratulations. Now go and enjoy the weird hard pears somewhere else.

Breathlessly anticipated upcoming cookbook of the week

A classic to rival BRAISE and LARD at this time of year.

Jewellery of the week

During the summer the must-have earring of choice was redcurrants; now that it’s autumn this feels like a very logical progression.

Probably over-caffeinated extreme creativity of the week

Maybe the place is called Catalyst for a reason.

Disappearing British classic of the week
London: We’re doing really cool experimental stuff with our sandwiches at the moment.

Lancashire (specifically Wigan): hold my barm

Quandary of the week

This is a fondue, but the main ingredient is British. Will Trullo have the guts to call this a Melt?

Dish of the week

Shame the presentation is so busy.

Shot of the week

Börek is an understated kind of word for what is essentially a laminated, deep-filled pie. Here’s a photo that does that ludicrously promising idea justice.