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Food blogger Jack Goldburg travels the world in search of the “best food experiences on earth,” documenting his finds on his account Jacks Dining Room where he has over five million followers.
This week, he headed Down Under to explore what Australia’s food scene has to offer.
Because the New York native has a taste for the finer things in life, he’s tried $2,100 Tasmanian King Crab, the most expensive lobster in the country ($210), and the best burger in Sydney ($27) – but the price tag that left him completely shocked, was $2.80 for a side of spinach.
You wouldn’t think he’d be the type to be price-sensitive, but apparently, the side dish was the most “absurd” charge he’s ever seen.
During a visit to Melbourne for the Australian Open, he was left stunned when ordering the leafy vegetable alongside his breakfast at a hotel restaurant.
“I think this might be the most absurd hotel charge ever,” he said in a recent TikTok video, holding up a side plate of wilted baby spinach.
“This plate of spinach … literally three pieces of spinach … is $2.80. This, pound for pound, is the biggest rip-off I’ve ever seen.”
He appears to have ordered a big breakfast, complete with toast, bacon, sausages and avocado – which would likely be close to $21 – but when his extra fibre came out, it tipped the bill over the edge for him.
“We’re getting out of hand here. The world needs to circle back and think about how we’re pricing things,” he claimed.
He then did a live taste test of the offending side, claiming “it better be the best-tasting spinach of my life” but was thoroughly disappointed.
“It just tastes like spinach. That’s crazy,” he said.
A 4.2 ounce pack of spinach at Woolworths, a popular Australian grocery chain, is currently $1.40, which is about what Goldburg received.
But we know just how notoriously deceptive baby spinach is. What might be 4.2 ounces in the bag might end up looking like that measly amount on his plate – even though it’s volume small, it’s ingredient dense.
Plus, when you consider the fact he’s likely in an upscale hotel in one of Australia’s most expensive cities, it’s little wonder the price is what it is, says John Hart, President of the Restaurant & Catering Association Australia.
“It looks pretty crazy, doesn’t it,” he admits, speaking to news.com.au. “The challenge is most of the $2.80 is actually going to the cooking, serving, and clearing the side of spinach rather than the product itself (i.e., the labor cost involved rather than the ingredient cost).
“This is the case with all food and beverage products sold in restaurants and cafes.”
He said that 50 percent of every dollar spent is spent on the cost of labor to put the meal on the plate and serve it.
Despite this, people in the comments still thought the price was too steep.
“Biggest rip-off,” one agreed.
“Welcome to Australia!” someone else quipped. “Breakfast prices are insane, sides can add up to $14 easily!”
“That is ridiculous,” another noted.
However, a couple of viewers defended the price – noting that it’s probably a large amount of spinach wilted down, and asking, “How much more spinach would you want?”
“It’s not too bad, to be honest,” another wrote.
