I have spent the last year mingling with, talking to, eating with, listening to and enjoying myself thoroughly with an online community of food writers. Many of these unnamed warriors are good friends today thanks to my blogging, reading their blogs and interacting with them.
One of the constant grouses I hear amongst the community is that despite being recognised as a force majeur in the battle for eyeballs (and column space/publicity), the members of the food industry and of the fourth estate seem to think condescendingly and poorly of bloggers ... their constant threnody being that 'these people' - ie us bloggers - are amateurs at best and absolutely unqualified for the task.
What the fourth estate and the food professionals have to recognise is that in the last two years, in this day and age of social media the average customer automatically trawls the internet for data before taking the gastronomic plunge and that today's gourmand is not a fool. The relevance of the blogger is indisputable as is his/her ascendant star. The qualifications are simply based on the trust they create and the popularity they generate. If they weren't good the discerning public would simply stop listening to them! The importance of Food Blogger Peer Review is apparent from the simple fact that all PR agencies and in house PR departments make it a point to include bloggers in all their launches, previews and PR events.
Now that I've had my little rant I'll get down to brass tacks .... all food bloggers try to be as polite as they can be in the face of bad food, poor service and generally bad packaging. I think we need a voice that tells it like it is. A place where, when I just can't be nice any more, I can vent my spleen at mediocrity, bad food, lousy service, indifference in the face of business and sheer stupidity - and mayhap extend guest privileges to my colleagues to do the same.
Say Hello to The Food Insultant!
One of the constant grouses I hear amongst the community is that despite being recognised as a force majeur in the battle for eyeballs (and column space/publicity), the members of the food industry and of the fourth estate seem to think condescendingly and poorly of bloggers ... their constant threnody being that 'these people' - ie us bloggers - are amateurs at best and absolutely unqualified for the task.
What the fourth estate and the food professionals have to recognise is that in the last two years, in this day and age of social media the average customer automatically trawls the internet for data before taking the gastronomic plunge and that today's gourmand is not a fool. The relevance of the blogger is indisputable as is his/her ascendant star. The qualifications are simply based on the trust they create and the popularity they generate. If they weren't good the discerning public would simply stop listening to them! The importance of Food Blogger Peer Review is apparent from the simple fact that all PR agencies and in house PR departments make it a point to include bloggers in all their launches, previews and PR events.
Now that I've had my little rant I'll get down to brass tacks .... all food bloggers try to be as polite as they can be in the face of bad food, poor service and generally bad packaging. I think we need a voice that tells it like it is. A place where, when I just can't be nice any more, I can vent my spleen at mediocrity, bad food, lousy service, indifference in the face of business and sheer stupidity - and mayhap extend guest privileges to my colleagues to do the same.
Say Hello to The Food Insultant!
looking forward to some honest bloggery here
ReplyDeleteWonderful. The Truth if pudding is in the eating. Khurush I trust your discerning and now unleashed tongue! Urvaksh da Parsi in Parsi da Dhaba.
ReplyDelete