The Longest Distance Deliveries, Ever
Photo credit: pizzagifs/Tumblr
Perhaps you’re familiar with temporary World Cup-induced insanity—you know, the phenomenon that turns even the most mild-mannered among us into foot-stomping hooligans (especially when the United States scores a goal).
That’s our best explanation for why one man thought it wise to place an order with a restaurant in Sussex, England… for delivery to World Cup attendees in Brazil. In all, the roughly 5,500-mile delivery order—which included the spinach-and-cheese dish palak paneer pakora, a fish masala dish, pan-fried potatoes, and rice—cost more than $7,000.
"We are from Bangladesh, and on a regular basis we eat curry and rice, and fish is part of our diet," said Mustafa Azim, who placed the order with a restaurant called Chilcha. ”There’s not a single restaurant in Brazil that does it.”
But Azim’s order is one of a slew of ludicrous restaurant deliveries made across the globe over the last two decades. And none of the following have as compelling an excuse as Cup fever:
In 2004, Domino’s employee Lucy Clough ferried a vegetarian “Supreme” pizza nearly 10,500 miles, from London, England to Melbourne, Australia.
In 2001, British hiker Rachel Kerr got a hankering for curry while traveling in Sydney, Australia. But not just any curry—she wanted a few spicy dishes from Rupali, an Indian eatery in Newcastle, England. The restaurateur obliged, making arrangements for the meals to be transported nearly 11,000 miles.
Also in 2001, Corné Krige, then-captain of the Fedsure Stormers rugby team, ordered a pie from the Capetown, South African pizza chain Butlers Pizza. The only problem? He was nearly 7,000 miles away in Sydney, Australia. That didn’t stop employee Bernard Jordaan from booking a flight and hand-delivering the pizza to Krige’s hotel room.
In 1998, Japanese television star Eiji Bando ordered a pie from Jerusalem 2, a kosher pizzeria in New York City. Owner Eddie Fishbaum delivered the pie himself—traveling about 7,000 miles to Osaka, Japan. The stunt cost $7,000 and was featured on Japanese television.
Suddenly, the local greasy spoon’s three-mile delivery radius seems mighty provincial indeed.
