Chef says he was suspended for exposing how famous dishes are made on TikTok

A chef at JD Wetherspoon, a well-known England-based pub chain, was allegedly suspended for sharing its food secrets in viral TikTok videos. “My managers had a meeting with me today about the whole thing, the whole situation. They were really calm about it to be honest, they understood and I sort of explained my point of view, that it was a mistake and I didn’t mean to cause harm to the company,” he said.

J Salsa, 19, uploaded multiple videos preparing various meals, including full English breakfasts, paninis, and deep-fried halloumi chips. 

However, what got the young cook cooked was that he showed that much of the Wetherspoon menu required only a microwave, including its chicken curry. Of the videos he uploaded, the employee revealed that only meat and eggs were cooked fresh. 

He recently uploaded a new video to say his account was discovered by his JD Wetherspoon managers, who then notified command at his pub, who promptly suspended him for his action. However, all of the videos are still live on his account. 

The damage occurred on Twitter, where people instantly questioned the combination of the Wetherspoon brand and the word “chef.”

@jayrsparsons tweeted: “If you say you’re a chef, then proceed to say you’re a chef at a Wetherspoons, sorry to break it to ya, you’re not a chef x.”

Jokes were had at the brand’s expense, given that it’s primarily known as a place to drink alcoholic beverages, not for fine dining. Colloquially called “Spoons,” the pub’s menu is mostly accessible and inexpensive fare.

@GanglSepp wrote: “I bumped into an old mate today. He said, ‘What you up to these days?’ I said, ‘I prepare meals for the homeless, druggies, piss heads and down ‘n’ outs.’ He said, ‘So you work in a charity drop-in centre?’ I said, ‘No, I’m a chef in a Wetherspoons pub.’”

The Wetherspoon brand has much larger issues at hand, as 66 of its pubs’ employees have tested positive for COVID-19—at least one person in each of its 50 pubs in the U.K.