A Sydney man has become an unlikely internet talking point after a video captured him asking a stranger if he could finish her leftover schnitzel. The clip, filmed at the Bavarian Beerhaus and posted on Instagram by local creator Finn Wilson, shows a group of mates eyeing off a nearly untouched plate left behind at the table next to them. The moment has now been watched more than two million times.
Wilson explains to the camera that the women who had been sitting beside them left behind “all that food”, joking that he and his mates planned to “capitalise”. As one of the women walked past to leave, he politely asked if she minded him taking the plate, to which she responded with mild shock but ultimately agreed. One of his friends enthusiastically retrieved the meal while she quipped, “Are your burgers no good?” Wilson assured her he intended to eat both.
Viewers were quick to weigh in, and surprisingly, many applauded the move. People praised the group for preventing food waste, with some insisting this kind of behaviour should be “normalised”. Others questioned how someone could leave so much behind at a venue, particularly with rising costs putting pressure on diners.
But not everyone approved. Plenty of commenters called the behaviour unhygienic or “gross”, with one person labelling the men “scabs”. Some pointed out the potential health risks that come with eating someone else’s meal, even if it originally came from the same kitchen.
Speaking to news.com.au, Dr Sam Hay said that while the food itself was likely safe when served, diners never know what another patron might be carrying in terms of illness. He likened the act to taking a gamble with your health but also acknowledged his frustration at seeing perfectly good meals go to waste.
The video arrives amid a wave of cost‑cutting behaviours like “dumpster diving”, where Australians have been rescuing discarded food as prices climb. With dining costs up significantly in recent years, many see leftover food as an easy way to stretch a budget. Food waste remains a major issue in the country, with millions of tonnes thrown out annually, much of it coming from restaurants and cafes.
Whether the act was thrifty or simply too risky, the video has clearly struck a nerve with viewers navigating both cost pressures and questions of etiquette. For the group of mates, though, their enthusiasm suggested they walked away pretty happy with their bonus feed.
