Sheff Star/Telegraph food reviews

[bladezman 10]

Apologies if this has been mentioned before, but does anyone else think the food reviews in both of our local papers are somewhat hard to believe?

 

I have read loads recently and they are all positive.

 

Maybe I am a cynic, but I find it hard to believe that every place they go to is good or excellent.

 

Surely they must have visited a poor place!

[Leah-Lacie 10]

I'm not sure if they're allowed to print bad ones... or if that might be slanderous

 

 

Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

[Jessica23 10]

I'm not sure if they're allowed to print bad ones... or if that might be slanderous

 

 

Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

 

Negative reviews aren't slanderous. They're just negative reviews.

[jaffa1 10]

Apologies if this has been mentioned before, but does anyone else think the food reviews in both of our local papers are somewhat hard to believe?

 

I have read loads recently and they are all positive.

 

Maybe I am a cynic, but I find it hard to believe that every place they go to is good or excellent.

 

Surely they must have visited a poor place!

 

I agree.

Some of the places that have been reviewed I also have been to and I've had a different opinion of the meal and service to what the reporter has had.

But then again what suits one doesn't always suit another.

[Veritas 10]

I Remember Martin Dawes giving Il Lupo in Baslow a terrible review a number of years ago

[Leah-Lacie 10]

Quote:

 

Originally Posted by Leah-Lacie

 

I'm not sure if they're allowed to print bad ones... or if that might be slanderous

 

 

Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

 

Negative reviews aren't slanderous. They're just negative reviews.

 

I've been told before though, if the review is less than glowing, they don't like to print it... e.g 'slow service, cold food, dirty tables, rude staff, expensive etc' are all things that will put off potential customers and cause the restaurant to possibly lose business. Not sure if its true or not.

 

 

Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

[Jessica23 10]

I've been told before though, if the review is less than glowing, they don't like to print it... e.g 'slow service, cold food, dirty tables, rude staff, expensive etc' are all things that will put off potential customers and cause the restaurant to possibly lose business. Not sure if its true or not. [/size]

 

Well, it may be true for the Sheffield Star because it relies on advertising from local businesses, but if so that'll be because it's a tin-pot crappy local newspaper that has scant regard for what might be considered proper journalism, not because negative reviews are slanderous.

 

Jay Rayner once described the cooking at a restaurant as 'so cack-handed, so foul, so astoundingly grim you want to congratulate the kitchen on its incompetence.'

[top4718 838]

I think Martin Dawes's reviews are reasonably balanced, he does criticise places and even good ones get marked down for various things. The other writer on Saturday (Jo Davison???) seems a little more restrained but recently slated the service at Bella Donna in Renishaw.

[happyaslarry 13]

He doesn't seem to be too happy today, a three for Pure On Raw. I've done a quick check on his last 12 reviews. Marks for food are 4 threes, 5 fours and 2 fives, so that seems a pretty even spread to me.

[bladezman 10]

He doesn't seem to be too happy today, a three for Pure On Raw. I've done a quick check on his last 12 reviews. Marks for food are 4 threes, 5 fours and 2 fives, so that seems a pretty even spread to me.

 

Ah fair enough, that is more evenly spread than I thought from the ones I have read.

Maybe it's because he is never too harsh on the food, usually the staff.

Still, it's all a matter of opinions. One man's (or woman's) trash is another's treasure.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts.

[jemson 10]

Take the reviews with a pinch of salt, so to speak. The comments about having to `send the missus out for fish `n` chips` last night were pretty poor form for a critic IMO.

[francypants 441]

It does seem to me that they tend to err on the positive side for fear of damaging the businesses reputation which is fair enough, BUT what's the point in having the feature if this is the case?

What's the point anyway (apart from free publicity for the eating place) Surely nobody takes any notice of their views because everybody is different, I wouldn't go / not go somewhere on the basis of somebody else's opinion.

Of the two, I think Martin Dawes writes a better feature, Jo Davison is too bland in her comments. But why am I writing this anyway? It's as meaningless as the newspaper feature itsself !!!.