Michelin-starred chef Galton Blackiston kicks back at TripAdvisor for allowing 'blatant lies' to be published

Michelin-starred Galton Blackiston has become the latest chef to slate TripAdvisor after the online review site allowed 'blatant lies' to be published by a customer at his restaurant.

Said customer, who upon a booking a table at Morston Hall, had claimed to be dairy intolerant, left a negative review on the platform after the kitchen held back the butter and cheese from their order. 

• Fake reviews on TripAdvisor: company claims it removed a million fraudulent posts last year
• Galton Blackiston, Morston Hall, Norfolk
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Just another one of many reasons why I hate @TripAdvisor . We had someone booked in for afternoon tea who was dairy intolerant, we frikking change everything then the twats say they were disappointed cos we didn’t use butter on the bread and didn’t use cheese as she can [eat] them WTF

— Galton Blackiston (@ChefGalton) September 22, 2019

The chef owner of Morston Hall hotel and restaurant insisted that he had been doing the right thing by removing the products. 

"As an owner and chef you are now finding more dairy or gluten intolerance among customers, and it plays such a huge part in the a kitchen. You have to be so on the ball and we don't take any chances."

This isn't the first time the chef has had issues with the platform. In another instance, he said a customer left a one-star review for the restaurant because it was closed - despite this being clearly advertised. 

The chef posted about the incidents on Twitter, explaining  that he "wouldn't normally say much" but that given that it was "a blatant lie," it sparked his anger. 

He said:"TripAdvisor is a facility that I did not ask to be put on, and we cannot get off it. It's unfair and fallible. Anyone can give a false review on it."

TripAdvisor, the largest social travel website in the world - with 315 million reviewers in 2017 - is often the source of controversy among the hospitality industry. Allegations of fake and paid-for posts are commonplace, as are more general criticism of the arbitrary nature of some of the reviews. 

A spokesperson for the company responded to Galton Blackiston's complaint, stating that it believes "in the travel community's right to write about their genuine experiences - positive or negative - even if the business disagrees with that reviewer's opinion.

It continued to defend its policies by saying that its management response tool " ultimately gives the business owner the last word for each and every review on the site," and that whatever the case, "the volume of reviews on TripAdvisor ensures that the impact of any one review is minimal.

"The current average rating for Morston Hall is 4.5 out of 5 which conveys an overwhelmingly positive impression of the restaurant."

What do you think chefs? Should TripAdvisor rethink its review policies?