If cabbage needed a mascot, Gerald Stratford would be a top contender. On Instagram, the 77-year-old proudly displays a red cabbage from his garden while wearing a fleece jacket and hat covered in cabbage prints, or writes poetic tributes to nature’s marbled marvel.
Stratford, who lives in Milton-under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire, is a beloved online personality. He shares updates about his harvests of enormous vegetables—or “big veg,” as he fondly calls them—with an audience of around half a million followers across social media, much to their delight.
His first taste of viral fame came in 2020, when his nephew told him, “You’ve gone viral with your spuds, Gerald.” Since then, Stratford has become a kind of gardening influencer and even a fashion muse. That cabbage-print fleece he wears? It’s from McQ by Alexander McQueen.
“Whenever I wear it on screen, it just takes off. I get a million hits every time,” Stratford tells Vogue about the outfit. He collaborated on the project, and the label features his name alongside other creatives. “I feel quite proud, you know,” he says. “I’ve taken my vegetables to the fashion world.” Beyond McQueen, Stratford has also worked with brands like Gucci, Burberry, and White Stuff.
He enjoys slicing vegetables in ways that highlight their inner beauty and believes cabbage is one of the best for this. “Cabbage always seems to get people’s imagination,” Stratford says.
Recent trends suggest he’s onto something. The “Pinterest Predicts” report forecasts that by 2026, we’ll reach peak cabbage obsession. Cabbage motifs are already everywhere: from the Sandy Liang cabbage bag in her spring 2025 collection, to the Dodie Thayer for Tory Burch ceramic line, a sterling silver cabbage centerpiece from Buccellati, and cabbage used as decor in floral arrangements and ad campaigns, like for the Highgrove x Burberry collection.
In Taiwan, a jadeite cabbage sculpture is the star attraction at the National Palace Museum—so popular it has its own exhibition hall. On TikTok, cabbage recipes like the cabbage boil and green goddess cabbage salad have gone viral.
In New York restaurants, cabbage appears on many menus: as a bar snack at Sunken Harbor Club, paired with crab (“crabbage”) at Bong, and grilled at Zimmi’s. It’s been served with citrus and dates at Eyval, made “addictive” at Dr. Clark’s and izakayas like Cotra, and of course, stuffed at Veselka. The New York Times even dubbed cabbage “the vegetable of the year.” According to Maria Santana, a representative for the Portuguese ceramics company Bordallo Pinheiro, founded in 1884, demand for their cabbage collection has recently increased.
During his campaign, Mayor Zohran Mamdani cradled a cabbage in a video with food content creators Anna Archibald and Kevin Serai, known online as Cabagges. The couple told Vogue that one of their first viral videos featured them making cabbage mille-feuille nabe, a Japanese dish of layered pork and cabbage in dashi broth. Archibald believes cabbage’s current popularity stems from its accessibility and versatility. “Everyone can get their hands on a cabbage,” she says. Serai notes that many cultures worldwide have long embraced cabbage dishes, but now it’s increasingly taking center stage.
Among the cabbage enthusiasts is James Beard Award-winning chef Sophia Roe, who tells Vogue that cabbage is a “sexy choice” for chefs today. Roe has a popular braised cabbage recipe that has won over at least one skeptic, and she lovesThe vegetable is prized for its versatility. “You can stuff it, fry it, braise it, or steam it. You can do anything you can think of,” she says. In short, cabbage is like a blank canvas, ready to carry butter or any flavor you imagine.
Roe also notes that cabbage’s shape and texture make it perfect for both visual and culinary appeal. She sees today’s trend of treating cabbage as art as part of a move toward the baroque, echoing the tradition of Danish still life paintings that often featured cabbages.
“In terms of appearance, cabbages are like big flowers, and people love big flowers,” Roe says. “Move over, peonies—the cabbage has arrived.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the trend of cabbage becoming a chic ingredient written in a natural conversational tone
Cabbages Are Having a Moment FAQs
Beginner General Questions
Q Wait cabbage is chic now What does that even mean
A Yes It means chefs food influencers and home cooks are celebrating cabbage as a versatile beautiful and sustainable star ingredient moving it far beyond its old reputation as just a boring side dish or slaw base
Q Whats so great about cabbage Isnt it just cabbage
A Its a nutritional powerhouse Its packed with vitamins C and K fiber and antioxidants Its also incredibly cheap lasts a long time in the fridge and has a great crunchy texture that works in both raw and cooked dishes
Q What kinds of cabbage are we talking about
A All of them The trend includes the classic green and red cabbages but also more visually striking varieties like Savoy cabbage Napa cabbage and even Brussels sprouts
Q Can you give me an example of a chic cabbage dish
A Absolutely Think of a beautifully charred wedge of cabbage served with a zesty romesco sauce delicate cabbage steaks roasted until caramelized or raw thinly sliced cabbage used as a fresh crisp bed for grilled fish or in a bright modern salad
Advanced Practical Questions
Q How are chefs making cabbage the main event on a plate
A Theyre treating it like a meat or a centerpiece vegetable Techniques include
Charring or Grilling Giving it a smoky deep flavor
Braising Cooking it slowly in wine or broth until tender and sweet
Fermenting Making sophisticated guthealthy kimchi or sauerkraut
Using it as a Canvas Layering it with highquality oils nuts cheeses and umamirich sauces
Q Whats driving this trend beyond just taste
A Two major factors