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A blunt critique of Mexican bread by a British baker sparked a cascade of social media outrage, ultimately leading to a public apology.
In an interview for a food-themed podcast that resurfaced online, Richard Hart, the co-founder of Green Rhino bakery in Mexico City and a well-known figure in international baking circles made some disparaging remarks.
Hart said Mexicans 'don't really have much of a bread culture,' - 'They make sandwiches on these white, ugly rolls that are pretty cheap and industrially made.'
His comments quickly rippled across Instagram, TikTok and X, with many Mexicans accusing him of being dismissive and insulting of Mexico's traditional breads.
What began as a dispute over bread soon ignited a national debate over food identity - not only over who defines Mexican culinary traditions, but also over the growing influence of foreigners in a capital already tense from a surge of US expatriates and tourists.
'He offended the community of bakers in Mexico and all the people in Mexico who like bread, which is almost everyone,' said Daniela Delgado, a university student in Mexico City.
Social media was soon flooded with memes, reaction videos, and passionate defenses of Mexican bread.
Users took to social media to praise everyday staples - from the crusty bolillos used for tortas to the iconic conchas found in neighborhood bakeries.
Chef Richard Hart's offhand insult about 'white, ugly rolls' has set off a national argument over Mexican food identity
Mexican staples like bolillos, pictured, became symbols of pride as users rushed to defend the everyday bread
Richard Hart, who is the co-founder of the popular Green Rhino Bakery in Mexico City made the remarks claiming Mexico lacks 'bread culture'
In many cases, these simple street foods act as a uniting factor across social groups and classes, and often cut to the core of the country's cultural identity.
While wheat bread was introduced to Mexico during the colonial period, the classic food staple evolved into a distinct national tradition, blending European techniques with local tastes and ingredients.
Today, small neighborhood bakeries remain central to daily life in cities and towns, serving as social hubs as well as food sources.
The incident prompted many to question why a foreign entrepreneur would publicly disparage a staple so deeply embedded in Mexican life.
For many, Hart's remarks echoed long-standing frustrations over foreign chefs and restaurateurs receiving disproportionate prestige, as well as concerns over gentrification in the capital.
'Don't mess with the bolillo,' warned one viral post on X.
As criticism mounted, Hart issued a public apology on Instagram, saying his comments were poorly phrased and did not show respect for Mexico and its people.
He acknowledged the emotional response and said he didn't behave as a 'guest.'
'I made a mistake,' Hart said in his statement. 'I regret it deeply.'
Hart later apologized, admitting he failed to act like a respectful 'guest' in a country where bread runs deep
People are seen buying pastries at a bakery in Mexico City
A vendor prepares a bolillo, a traditional Mexican bread, for consumption at a street stand in Mexico City
The Daily Mail has reached out to Green Rhino, but representatives of the bakery declined to comment.
Hart previously worked at high-profile bakeries in the United States and Europe and has been part of Mexico City's growing artisanal bread scene.
That market caters largely to middle and upper-class customers, many of them foreigners, seeking sourdough loaves and European-style pastries, often at prices far above those of neighborhood bakeries.
The apology did little to immediately quiet the debate. While some users accepted it, others said it failed to address deeper concerns about cultural authority and who gets to critique Mexican traditions.
'If you want to be part of Mexican culture by owning a restaurant or bakery, you have to educate yourself,' Delgado said.
Others, like Josué Martínez, a chef at the Mexican Culinary School, said he was happy that the debate was happening because it opened the door for a more robust and nuanced discussion.
Mexican breads were fiercely defended as a point of national pride, with critics blasting the remarks as ignorant and elitist
An assortment of Mexican sweet breads from Tijuana, Mexico's better known and oldest local bakeries in the city, Panader a La Mejor (The Best Bakery), established in 1962
Conchas, the colorful sweet breads found in nearly every neighborhood bakery, were held up online as proof that Mexico’s bread culture is anything but empty
Mexican bread has long been criticized domestically for its industrialization and reliance on white flour and sugar.
But many like Martínez say those conversations are different and more nuanced when led by Mexicans themselves rather than by a foreign entrepreneur.
'It's an opportunity to learn about the culture of Mexican breadmaking and pastry, to take pride in it, to highlight the richness of our ingredients, and to stop thinking that the so-called first world represents the ultimate standard,' Martínez said.