Australia’s beloved food blogger Nagi Maehashi was left stunned by a stranger’s random act of kindness at a restaurant – a surprise gesture that brought her to tears.
The RecipeTin Eats founder was dining at the acclaimed seafood restaurant Saint Peter in Sydney with a friend when a nearby patron quietly footed the bill for their meals on Thursday night.
Maehashi only discovered her bill had been taken care of when she went to pay, and was surprised when staff gave her a handwritten note from the kind stranger.
‘So something really weird, incredible and amazing just happened. Someone actually picked up the bill for us,’ she said in a video posted on her Instagram.
‘Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I don’t even know who it was because it’s anonymous. Kind donors paid for our dinner.
‘Whoever my dinner fairy was… thank you.’
The note read: ‘Nagi, we acknowledge you’re not taking donations for RecipeTin Meals. Keep up the great work.’
The act of kindness has struck a chord with fans of Maehashi, many of whom have followed her recipes for years – and more recently, admired her for her commitment to charity.
Australia’s beloved food blogger Nagi Maehashi has been left overwhelmed after a stranger picked up the bill for her dinner during a recent night out
Through her not-for-profit food bank RecipeTin Meals, Maehashi funds and prepares over 500 meals every day for vulnerable individuals and families across Sydney.
She does not accept public donations and instead funds the initiative herself, using profits from her popular website and best-selling cookbooks.
‘I have tears in my eyes because Nagi is generous with her time and money with her food bank and yet when someone can do a small gesture like this for her to acknowledge all she does it brings tears to her eyes,’ one fan said.
‘Why am I crying?! How beautiful,’ another shared.
‘Absolutely love this random act of kindness for you Nagi. So many people see the incredible work you do. You’re a national treasure,’ one shared.
‘So many people see the incredible work you do, Nagi. You’re a national treasure,’ another added.
Even culinary royalty had their say, with Nigella Lawson calling the stranger’s gesture as ‘so lovely, and so deserved.’
The heartwarming moment comes just weeks after Maehashi made global headlines by accusing TikTok star and fellow cookbook author Brooke Bellamy of plagiarism.
In a post shared on her website and social media, Maehashi claimed Bellamy’s debut cookbook Bake With Brooki featured two recipes that closely resembled her own: caramel slice and baklava.
The RecipeTin Eats founder was dining at the acclaimed seafood restaurant Saint Peter in Sydney with a friend when a nearby patron quietly footed the bill for their meals on Thursday
The heartwarming moment comes just weeks after Maehashi made global headlines by accusing TikTok star and fellow cookbook author Brooke Bellamy (right) of plagiarism
Maehashi alleged Penguin Australia, the publisher of Bellamy’s cookbook, had ‘exploited’ her work without permission.
‘To me, the similarities are so specific and detailed that calling these a coincidence feels disingenuous,’ Maehashi claimed.
‘There are also recipes from other authors… where the similarities are so extensive, dismissing it as coincidence would be absurd (in my opinion).’
Maehashi said she felt compelled to speak out against the publishing giant.
‘Staying silent protects this kind of behaviour,’ she said.
Bellamy has since responded on Instagram to vehemently deny the accusations.
Despite the stress of the ongoing controversy, the unexpected kindness from a pair of anonymous diners served as a moment of gratitude – and a reminder of how much Maehashi’s work means to everyday Australians.
‘That’s so classy and thoughtful,’ one fan wrote.
‘You deserve all the kindness that comes your way,’ another shared.
‘Good things always come around to good people,’ one added.
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