A Sydney food blogger has been shamed by a restaurateur after her proposal of a review in exchange for a free meal was publicised.
Bartender and co-owner of Sydney restaurant Dead Ringer Tim Philips posted screenshots of the blogger’s request to his Instagram followers.
The messages begin when the blogger sent a private message to his inbox.
“Hi, just wondering if you sent out invitations to foodie instagrammers. If so, my friend and I would love to come to review your restaurant,” she wrote.
Philips requested the blogger elaborate.
“Hi! Not quite sure what you mean? You’re welcome to come down any time that suits you. Would you like me to make you a reservation?”
“Usually my arrangements with restaurants is that you give my friend and I a meal on the house in exchange for Instagram coverage and reviews," the girl replied.
Philips then equated her ability to review his food without paying to his ability to review her menstrual cycle.
“With all due respect I’d say you have as much right to review my restaurant as I have to review your menstrual cycle,” he said.
Philips posts have attracted hundreds of comments from users who either praise or damn his response.
"Nailed it Tim Phil. Fark'n free loaders," one user said.
"You sir are in the customer service industry a simple 'no freebies given' would have sufficed," another user said.
One user said there lived a hint of casual sexism in Philips mentioning her menstrual cycle.
"Is it necessary to comment on her menstrual cycle at all? I think a simple "that's against our policy" would've suffice," the user said.
Philips responded by saying he was "really nice" and that being able to truly review a restaurant required somebody to truly pay the bill.
"Apologies for any offence caused. I thought as the only known point of difference between myself and the blogger being our sex, the irony of 'me objectively reviewing' something I'm physically unable to do is relevant to her unable to objectively review a restaurant who has given her free meals. I'm really nice. But this happens A LOT," he said.
Watch as our own resident foodie takes you through the tastiest and easiest chocolate truffle recipe you'll ever sniff out. Post continues after video.
The young blogger has since deleted her account.
Top Comments
I personally can not believe the gall of these people trying this on. They should all be named and shamed.
How may businesses besides Restaurants and expected to work like this.
I need new tyres on my car, so I'll contact my nearest tyre retailer and ask for a freebie so I can put it on my twitter feed #freetyresfor nothing.
Then there is the computer repair, which I expect for free if I give a positive response on a blog no-one reads.
You get the idea and have to admit it takes some gall to even ask this. It's little wonder the original thread was deleted.