Met Gala 2025: five foods that won't make the cut (and why they’re off the menu)

The Met Gala, an illustrious showcase of high fashion and extravagant decor, is often dubbed the Super Bowl of style. 

As the crème de la crème of the celebrity world strut their designer ensembles on the iconic carpet, an equally curious question lingers just beneath the surface: What do these A-listers dine on during the gala? 

Surprisingly, the answer drifts into culinary controversy thanks to a strict menu prohibition enforced by "Vogue"’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour.

In 2024, during an appearance on "The Today Show", Wintour herself confirmed the persistent whispers surrounding the ban on certain allium vegetables.

When asked by Jenna Bush Hager whether garlic, chives, and onions were indeed off the guest list, Wintour answered plainly, “Those are three things I’m not particularly fond of. So yes, that’s true.”

This declaration confirms that while the Met Gala dazzles with extravagant themes and couture chaos, it also commands a rather peculiar culinary order.

The 2025 Met Gala menu will continue this distinct tradition by excluding not only garlic, onion, and chives, but also parsley and bruschetta.

These restrictions present an interesting challenge for the culinary teams tasked with creating a sophisticated dining experience that ensures guests can enjoy the evening without unwelcome breath and culinary conflicts.

According to Josh Jackson, executive chef and owner of Great Taste Catering in Los Angeles, the reasoning behind these exclusions lies in both aesthetic and practical considerations.

Wintour, he explained, prohibits these ingredients to maintain the glamour of the event, saying, “She doesn't want the food to affect the breath of the celebrity guests,” and she certainly wouldn’t want “to see chives in the guests' teeth.”

Furthermore, Jackson highlighted that there are occasions when some guests might have allergies to members of the allium family, although he noted this is rare.

With these staples off the menu, chefs have risen to the occasion, embracing creative culinary avenues. 

Previous menus served at the gala have included vegan courses, plant-forward entrees, and splendidly crafted canapés.

Each dish serves not only as a gastronomic delight but as an artistic representation of the thematic vision of the event.

Yet, the intrigue lies in the fact that the specifics of the menu remain a closely guarded secret until the end of the evening - a testament to the exclusivity of the event itself.

∎ South African viewers can experience all the glitz and glamour from this year’s Met Gala on E! (DStv 124), Tuesday, May 6, at 7pm.