Critical path

Mark Taylor looks at how to handle the reviewers

Love them or loathe them, critics can make or break a pub or restaurant with a single review. People love reading restaurant reviews - and critics on national newspapers are read regularly by hundreds of thousands of readers, all of whom should be regarded as potential customers.

A good review from a respected food writer will have an immediate, enormous impact on your business, but a bad one could have catastrophic consequences - so it's vital to be on your guard at all times. From the licensee or chef's point of view, the worst thing about critics is that you may not even know when they are eating at your establishment.

National newspaper critics will often book under a different name and will never announce themselves until after they have had their meal, if at all.

It's not unusual for a chef or manager to fail to realise their establishment has been reviewed until the article appears in the newspaper.

Although many of these critics are London-based, an increasing number are venturing outside the capital to review pubs and restaurants in the provinces, so wherever you are, it's important to treat every new customer as a potential reviewer.

There is no definitive answer to the question: "How do I get my business reviewed in a national paper?".

Each critic works according to his or her individual system. Although very few critics act on PR and prefer to follow tip-offs and leads instead, it is always worth sending them a press release about a new opening, as they may decide to visit.

Take on board what critics say

Scott Wade, head chef, the Headley, Headley Common, Essex

"Unless you have an open kitchen where the chefs are able to see the diners, you need somebody out front who can spot critics when they arrive - and then you have to look after them as you would any other customer.

"A lot more people eat in pubs than in restaurants, so more pub owners and chefs should try to encourage reviews. Critics are very important to us and we've had some very good national reviews.

"I take on board what critics say - some can be quite harsh, but most make valid points. Sometimes they don't seem to know what they're talking about, but chefs should pay attention to criticism.

"I really respect Terry Durack in the Independent on Sunday, Jay Rayner in The Observer and Fay Maschler and Charles Campion in the Evening Standard. I'd worry about an AA Gill review! It's hard not to take bad reviews personally. When Terry Durack reviewed me at the Gun, one comment annoyed me at the time, but he was right.

"The worst thing is that you never have any notice of their plans to visit your business. When Matthew Fort reviewed me for The Guardian, he came in with Fay Maschler!"

You have take it on the chin

Simon Wilson-White, manager, the Rosendale, West Dulwich, London, SE21

"I've worked at many places, including the Ivy, so I've probably looked after every London critic. Because of the reputation of our other pub, the Greyhound, in Battersea, every major critic visited the Rosendale in its first few weeks.

"Reviews are very important for pubs, especially new openings. It's a good idea to use a PR company to alert the critics - after one has visited, others follow. It may be easier to get reviews in London, where many critics are based, but all pubs should try to get local reviews as well as national reviews - they're good for business.

"We were busy already, but after the reviews our bookings increased and people mentioned them. They do make a difference.

"The critics that matter these days are Fay Maschler in the Evening Standard, and the Metro, in London, which has a huge circulation. You have to take them seriously because so many people read them.

"If you get a bad review with justifiable criticisms, you have to take it on the chin, but if it's the sort of comment that may require an apology, you have to contact the newspaper or magazine."

Treat every customer the same way

Jason King, chef/co-proprietor, the Wellington Arms, Baghurst, Hampshire

"Because reviewers who matter dine anonymously, you never know when they come in. And as my business partner and I don't watch TV, we never recognise people anyway.

"When Mark Sargent from Claridges came in one Sunday we didn't know it was him, despite having his cookbook. We didn't even recognise Giles Coren when he came to do a Times review. He turned up at the kitchen door and asked for a table. Because we had so many bookings, we agreed he could have a table, but had to tell him we would need it back in 45 minutes.

"He could have given us a really bad review, but he gave us nine out of 10 - one of his highest marks. The review had a huge, immediate effect - we even had people who lived nearby, but had never been to the pub before, coming in to eat.

"While reviews are important for business, word of mouth is also crucial, and you have to treat every customer the same way."

Tips on coping with critics

l Send restaurant critics a short press release about new openings, including brief details of the pub, the chef's history and a sample menu.

l Don't send critics huge files via email. For journalists, there is nothing more infuriating than receiving a 3,487k file containing a picture attachment that clogs up a computer.

l Make front-of-house staff aware of restaurant critics. Many critics have picture bylines on their reviews - cut out the pictures and keep them behind the bar for quick reference.

l If you recognise a critic, don't fall over yourself in an attempt to give them preferential treatment. Critics want to remain anonymous for a reason - and if they suspect they are getting the red carpet treatment, they may reflect this in their review.

l Although it may be tempting to try to impress critics, don't send out extra courses or double-size portions. This is counter-productive as a critic will know immediately if they are receiving better food or service than the other diners: they want to reflect the experience of the average diner.

l Don't offer critics a free meal or drinks, which they will regard as a bribe

l If you get a bad review from a critic, take the criticisms on board and analyse them. These writers are experts in their field and eat out more than anybody else, so respect their opinions.