<
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/aug/26/cooking-for-seamus-celebrities-and-chefs-clamour-to-cook-for-a-disabled-bull-in-this-irresistible-show>
"The YouTube comedy docuseries
Cooking for Seamus has an irresistible
premise: what if a huge disabled bull named Seamus was a food critic, on a
cooking show that catered entirely to his sensibilities and tastes? The result
is a show that’s not only eccentric and funny, but an utterly delightful
meditation on the importance of food and care and community, featuring a very
hungry animal.
Seamus is a disabled bull who lives with palsy; when he was born he was
considered too sick to live, but was saved by an animal rescuer, his “mum” BJ,
who also pops up through the show. For months Seamus couldn’t even stand up or
lift his head to feed, and as a result, quickly became enamoured with “human”
food – and in large amounts.
“All the farmers around here were laughing and taking bets on how long I can
keep him alive,” recalls BJ.
Cooking for Seamus was created by a laconic folk musician named Archer who
now cares for Seamus and takes feeding him seriously. The pair live in a leaky
caravan out near Castlemaine in Victoria, on a creek surrounded by other
rescued animals, including Seamus’s best friend, a goat named Lillian.
“I believe he has one of the most advanced palates in the history of the
world,” Archer says, as part of the explanation of why he’s created an entire
cooking show for his animal friend. Seamus, via Archer, rates his meals out of
10; after Seamus eats his meal, licking his chops with his ears flicking,
Archer will watch him intently, trying to gauge whether the meal was a hit for
its discerning critic. “I reckon he’s in the 9s, maybe a 9.2” Archer decides,
after Seamus chows down a bucket of pumpkin penne pasta.
Each episode, ranging between five and 20 digestible minutes, typically centres
on a celebrity chef coming to cook a meal for Seamus – like the American
musician Martha Spencer, who not only cooks a huge helping of Appalachian
cornbread and pinto beans for Seamus, but spends much of the episode singing
songs to an audience of rescue animals. Other guests include comedian and
YouTube chef Nats What I Reckon, whose laid-back approach to cooking is a
spiritual match to the docuseries.
“What do you think of food critics?” asks Archer. “Not much,” drawls Nat."
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
