A life-sized donair costume has bidders offering top dollar, and some spicy responses

After appearing on the Alberta government's auction website on Friday, a life-sized donair costume has created widespread fascination and received bids of up to $1,000.

The official food of Halifax has shapeshifted into life-size form in a rather unusual location.

A four-foot-seven donair costume, complemented by a silver-coloured body suit to ensure the outfit offers up an “authentic tinfoil look,” was uploaded onto the Alberta government’s auction site on Friday.

On Wednesday, the highest bid placed was $1,000. The starting bid was originally set at $50.

All of the hallmarks of the authentic street food are on full display as the costume showcases tomatoes, onion, and donair meat all wrapped inside the enlarged pita bread and topped with donair sauce.

The costume also includes a highly controversial ingredient: lettuce.

Halifax-based restaurant chain King of Donair (KOD), whose founder is credited with perfecting the recipe when the restaurant first opened in 1973, is notoriously known for dismissing any wrap involving lettuce as an inauthentic donair. The company has even released an “Anti Lettuce Donair Club” T-Shirt on its website.

Nicholas Nahas, a co-owner of the seven-location franchise, said he’s been “keeping an eye” on the auction. He said he’s had some people reach out and offer to make some slight adjustments to the piece.

“(I) even had an email today from someone saying they could remove the lettuce if we wanted,” he said.