The co-owner of a St Andrews cafe has responded to critics of her outfit on Saturday Kitchen.
The Cheesy Toast Shack owners Sam Larg and Kate Carter-Larg appeared with host Matt Tebbutt on Saturday’s live BBC show.
The pair spoke about their seaside business ahead of National Cheese Toastie Day, which fell on Sunday.
Kate, who helped Sam cook macaroni toasties during Saturday’s show, was upset at the reaction to what she was wearing at the time.
She believes some national outlets “tried to ridicule” her by highlighting critical comments posted on Twitter/X.
St Andrews cafe owner’s arms ‘got people’s knickers in a twist’
After responding with a light-hearted video on the Shack’s Tiktok page, Kate told The Courier she was proud of how she looked on Saturday.
“I just wore jeans and a top – that was it,” she said.
“I went for a dark colour and didn’t for one minute think my arms or shoulders would get people’s knickers in such a twist.
“My thought process when I picked the outfit was that I was going on television and BBC1 so I was going to wear something I felt really good in.
“And I did feel really good. And if I did it again I would probably wear the same kind of thing.
“I felt really good and I still feel really good.
“This is 2024 not 1950. I can wear what the hell I want.
“I am a business owner, I’m a woman. I can wear what I want.”
Kate Carter-Larg Tiktok video response to comments
In Sunday’s video, Kate repeated some of the critical social media comments while at various London locations.
The barbs included:
- “She just got in from a night out in 2005.”
- “Rolled-up jeans on national TV?'”
- “Why is she dressed up as though she is at the beach?”
@thecheesytoastshack Making light of the frankly INSANE Daily Mail “article” yesterday after our little business appeared on national TV, and all the stupid comments it sparked. Thanks to everyone else for all the love, support and new followers we’ve gained! Ps I will never stop dressing like I live at the beach. 😅 #saturdaykitchen #trolls
Kate added: “You are never going to go back to the people leaving horrible comments and tell them to shut up.
“You can’t argue with stupid, so the best thing is to laugh at them.
“Doing the video, where you are saying out loud the comments you have read, highlights how insane it would be to actually hear those words come out of somebody’s mouth in real life.”
Alzheimer’s heartbreak behind gull insurance fundraiser
Kate’s dismay was exacerbated by the muted media reception to her comment that she had been raising money for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
She stated during the show that money from the cafe’s controversial ‘gull insurance’ is currently going to the charity as the cause is “very close to our hearts”.
“Was it not brilliant that a tiny independent St Andrews business talking about raising money for charity was getting coverage on national TV?” she asked, rhetorically.
“None of that was picked up. It was all about ‘girl wears strapless top’, which is trying to ridicule me.”
Kate, 35, told The Courier her fundraising campaign was prompted by her mother Barbara, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s two decades ago.
The 74-year-old can no longer recognise Kate when she returns to visit her in Dorset, where she was brought up.
“I am actively losing my mum to Alzheimer’s,” she revealed.
“I have had two babies, got married, had all this success in my business but I can’t share any of this with my mum.
“She is totally bed-bound and having to be spoon-fed. It is horrible.
“My whole family have gone through something absolutely awful.
“It’s so cruel.”
Cheesy Toast Shack benefits from Saturday Kitchen feature
Despite everything, Kate feels Saturday’s show was a success.
“When I first saw the comments they did make me feel confused and shocked,” she admitted.
“It did make me feel sad but I can see the funny side of it now because we have had so much more positivity and nice comments, and gaining followers and people being really lovely.
“So I don’t want anyone to think for a minute that this has been something awful for us and ruined our business.
“Because the whole experience in general has been a really positive thing.
“I can cope with things so well because I am very comfortable in myself, which does come with age.
“But I also have a really good support network of friends and family.
“My husband loves me and couldn’t care if I wore a bin bag or strapless top.
“But you hear horrible stories about people who don’t have strong self-esteem getting bullied online.
“People need to realise their words can make people feel a certain way.”
In September, Kate appeared on The Courier’s drive-thru review series, where she spoke about how she deals with online insults.
- Proceeds from the Cheesy Toast Shack’s gull insurance are given to a different charity each month. October’s chosen charity is Alzheimer’s Research UK.
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