- Tuesday, February 25, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
BRITISH high commissioner to India Alex Ellis recently attracted social media users by exhibiting the foodie in him. The diplomat, who took charge this year, has been trying Indian food and flavour across the country.
After having masala dosa, a popular south Indian food, Ellis was seen trying vada pav, a popular snack in the western Indian state of Maharashtra which consists of deep-fried potato dumplings placed inside a bread burn and is consumed with raw chilly.
Ellis is currently in Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra and India’s financial capital, where he is meeting top state government officials and political leaders. However, the high commissioner found time out from his busy schedule to grab a vada pav and posted a picture of him with a half-eaten piece of the fast food in front of the city’s iconic Gateway of India on the shores of the Arabian Sea.
“There’s always time to have a vada pav in Mumbai,” Ellis said in the post and finished it with the Maharashtrian term “lai bhari” which means excellent.
There's always time to have a #vadapav in Mumbai – लई भारी! pic.twitter.com/Xv6Hu4iW2X
— Alex Ellis (@AlexWEllis) September 9, 2021
The tweet received more than 21,000 likes at the time of writing this report besides scores of interesting comments in reaction. Even the US consulate in Mumbai responded and advised Ellis about the address to get the best Maharashtrian food in town.
Next time you’re in Mumbai and want #VadaPav, come join U.S. Consul General Ranz at #Aaswad for the best Maharashtrian street food in town. pic.twitter.com/yLlFEuXRxS
— U.S. Consulate Mumbai (@USAndMumbai) September 9, 2021
Some social media users asked the British high commissioner to try unique food that India’s other towns offer, like rasgoolla (sweet) in Kolkata in the eastern state of West Bengal. There were others who mocked Ellis saying he could have a tough time in the toilet the next day after having vada pav.
Tomorrow morning in toilet he will be like.. pic.twitter.com/2BwJbFWScT
— Crime Master Gogo ?? (@vipul2777) September 9, 2021
Welcome sir,come to Kolkata for rosogolla
— mmm (@786maqsudalam) September 9, 2021
One social media user asked Ellis to have vada pav near Dadar railway station in Mumbai and not in a five-star hotel.
Real taste of Vadapav is opposite Dadar station. Gallery of Taj is not right place to have Vadapav ?
— Dinesh Wadera (@dineshwadera) September 9, 2021
Another user thanked Ellis for showing interest in speaking an Indian language.
After looking at your interest of speaking Hindi ,Marathi I wanted to say thank you sir for your kind gesture, respect towards our regional languages. खूप खूप आभारी आहे.
— samurai#JACK (@samuraijack2511) September 9, 2021
