Gordon Ramsay trolls Kiwi chef Hercules Noble

Gordon Ramsay has trolled Kiwi chef Hercules Noble on TikTok, but what does Beef Wellington have to do with it and how does he feel about having the celebrity foodie weigh in? Ricardo Simich reveals all.

Auckland celebrity chef Hercules Noble – who cooks for high-profile dinner parties and A-list events – has been trolled on TikTok by one of his culinary idols, British superstar chef Gordon Ramsay.

Noble, who is known for creating innovative recipes using sourdough on his social media channels, tried his luck at making Ramsay’s critically acclaimed Beef Wellington… with sourdough.

Ramsay took to TikTok to split his own screen in response to Noble’s efforts.

From the start, Ramsay said he was worried about Noble, saying he was a fan of Noble’s sourdough, but then said: “Oh no, where is this going, please don’t ruin my Welly.”

Ramsay said that once the meat is in the dough, it will never work, the meat will turn grey and create a “sour Welly”.

When the finished product comes out of the oven, Ramsay said it looks like a…
Noble posted a TikTok of himself in front of a split screen with his reaction to Ramsay’s criticism, which is a priceless watch.

Noble said that when Ramsay first started following him on Instagram, a friend called him to let him know while he was at the supermarket.

“Crazy, right!? What a nice surprise. I couldn’t believe it. Of course I followed him back,” Noble told Spy.

“I usually try not to pay too much attention to my ‘followers’ because it’s not good for my mental health, but it’s really cool when someone you grew up looking up to follows you.”

Noble said his heart skipped a beat when he heard about Ramsay’s taunt.

“It’s so much fun,” he said. “I’ll be collaborating with Gordon one day, mark my words!”

For years, Noble was the go-to personal chef for events and dinner parties for the discerning Aucklander.

In late 2022, Spy named Noble a notable influencer.

At the time, Noble had around 5,000 followers on Instagram and had just signed with Outspoken By Odd. Fast forward to today, and the 29-year-old has more than 260,000 followers on Instagram and more than 75,000 followers on TikTok with 1.7 million likes.

Odd now manages Noble’s content creation commissions as well as his own private cooking service, and is sought after all over the world.

Noble has a witty, confident content creation style.

“When I first started, I tried all sorts of different content and styles for a year or two and saw very little growth,” he says.

That’s when Noble created a more engaging series – Is it sourdough bread?

“Sure, people will mix delicious ingredients into sourdough, but do they make carbonara or sourdough inspired by an English breakfast? I don’t think so!”

Noble combines his content with his work as an A-list chef and other projects, from building a shipping container bath in Northland, renovating a Parnell house and creating a garden, to travelling with some pull-ups, challenging himself to do 10 pull-ups in a row.

“People love to tell a story online, it gives them a reason to stay, so that’s what I’m trying to do when I share these projects of mine,” he says.

Noble’s recent overseas trip saw him cooking with fellow content creators in New York and cooking and staying at an idyllic country house in upstate New York.

He then spent time in London collaborating on content and then cooking for a group of friends who had rented a beautiful chateau in Bordeaux, France.

“Spending time in the US and London has been a really great experience,” he says. “I’ve been able to connect with some amazing content creators who have inspired me along the way.”

Since returning to Auckland, he has introduced chickens to his vegetable garden. His friendly attitude and authenticity when it comes to making his own food makes the content as engaging as his recent travels.

Noble insists it’s not all glamour.

“While cooking for people is a fulfilling and wonderful experience, being a part of it can be overwhelming and exhausting,” he reveals. “I don’t want another summer like last summer, when work was going really well, but I was so focused on it that I didn’t spend enough time with family and friends.”

And while his content creation makes almost as much money as his private cooking sessions, Noble insists he’d still do it whether he was paid or organic.

“I don’t think