Editorial: We need to complain more often

Hawke's Bay's reached a stage in its culinary evolution where plates should be right first time, every time. Photo / HBT

I've had bad coffee before, but nothing like this.

Heading to the Great Lake, and with one of our daughters feeling car sick, we had no choice but to pull into a cafe midway between Napier and Taupo.

Staff were as pleasant as they were busy, but what ensued was a common but nonetheless unacceptable roadside-cafe crime. Namely, my flat white had all the attributes of water, just with less flavour and viscosity. My wife said her brew tasted "like onion".

Ironically, we laughed the rest of the stretch to Taupo, fully aware this was the lot of SH5's captive market.

Thing is, in my time in this industry I've noticed there is still a stronghold of eatery establishments with a fundamental opposition to reviews. It seems they think any complaint should be directed to the establishment only - bad food and/or service dealt with as an in-house issue.

Years ago, after writing a not-so-favourable review, I had a restaurant recommend I come back a few times to garner a "more accurate" cross-sample of their fare.

Drivel.

Hawke's Bay's reached a stage in its culinary evolution where plates should be right first time, every time. I'm certain said restaurant wouldn't turn down an award based on a single-meal review.

Food reviewers, of course, risk little compared with the reviewed. Yet many in the dining demographic simply don't complain. I'm one of them. We accept our fare, whatever its shortcomings, thank the host for the shonky meal and lie when asked "how was everything". It's the Kiwi way - it's holding us back.