Amateur diners? So we shouldn't go out to eat until we have completed our training in how to identify "proper" food, how to appreciate "proper" food etc. How dare we average people not like something cooked by a professional. Of course they are right and we ignorant peasants just have no idea at all. The idea. we should just stay home and gnaw on our burnt mince.
Her point, though, seems to be more about: ". how online review sites moderated feedback, including negative reviews that might be written by "an enemy of the restaurant" or a "glowing report" that could be written by a staff member."
Reviews written by people with no accountability (anonymous - credentials/affiliation//knowl- edge unknown) can ruin a restaurants reputation, or be false advertising. Same sort of thing happens on the book review sites, too.
davidt4,
Feb 21, 8:11pm
She's always been a ghastly snob. I used to run across her at parties and she would be holding forth about all the dreary little places she was obliged to eat at in order to review them.
kay141,
Feb 21, 8:33pm
I take reviews by some food critics with a very large pinch of salt. So often I have eaten at places which have had glowing reviews to find the food very artistic but inedible. The reviews by those who pay the bills are on the whole much more factual and realistic. Sure you get a few bad eggs but there is usually a volume of opinion.
valentino,
Feb 21, 8:49pm
I do not rate Lauraine Jacobs much. very little actually. Is normally ignored by myself and a few others.
Cheers
wasgonna,
Feb 21, 11:54pm
Funny how I've never heard of any of these "world-renowned" people but does appear with this one that she is just another free-loader.
karlymouse,
Feb 22, 12:57am
Love this comment
"Herald on Sunday columnist and restaurant critic Peter Calder said information on the internet, including reviews from amateur foodies, shouldn't always be taken on face value.
"Ninety-nine per cent of what is on the internet is crap and you can't really help anyone who doesn't already know that," Calder said."
kay141,
Feb 22, 1:05am
I see she was honoured by the Queen for her services to the food industry. I wonder who proposed her for the honour? Some restauranteur she gave a good review?
punkinthefirst,
Feb 22, 1:46am
Reviews are only a guide, whether they are written by the "food educated" or not. They are subjective, just like reviews of plays or books, and should be treated that way. Bad reviews, whether earned or not, can totally destroy a restaurant business (which is hard enough to keep solvent already). If the reviewer is not prepared to put their name to their review, it should be totally disregarded, and we can make our own judgements on regular reviewers by comparing our own experiences.
motorbo,
Feb 22, 2:08am
I totally agree with you, people have taken this totally out of context
kay141,
Feb 22, 2:35am
A good restaurant should be able to withstand the odd bad review among the good, whether they are anonymous or not, but when the bad or indifferent outnumber the good, then they are in trouble. Most people are capable of deciding whether the reviewer had a bad day or not. I much prefer the anonymous but when it is the professional critics, then there are some I discount completely as our tastes are very different. Just as I discount film, TV or book reviews when I know the critic and I have very widely divergent ideas of enjoyable.
calista,
Feb 3, 8:06am
Thanks for this.
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