The Test Kitchen withdraws from the Eat Out awards

Shock! Horror! Luke Dale-Roberts withdraws The Test Kitchen from the Eat Out Awards, shortly after Mosaic did it.  I’m gutted and the foodie nation weeps.

It’s unfathomable how one can withdraw from what is supposed, I presume, to be an unbiased investigation into supposedly the top restaurants of the nation, followed by rankings and awards, unless restaurants must enter a competition or contribute financially, or otherwise,  to be eligible to participate.

If neither The Test Kitchen or EatOut have anything but a disinterested, neutral view of this (in truth) fatuous rating circus, EatOut is entitled to rate any restaurant anywhere in the country, whether they’re happy about it or not.

Aah, Mr Dale-Roberts wants to make way for younger chefs, to give them an opportunity to shine. In effect, therefore, he’s telling them that they will never be good enough to beat him, so, patronisingly, he must step aside to allow them that hollow victory.  Nice one.

Also, it’s telling that he made a big public song and dance about this “withdrawal.”  He could simply have sent an email to the big kahunas at EatOut to inform them of this decision, and what it actually means, and left it at that.  The public announcement is yet more publicity and  unsubtle, arrogant boasting.

I sincerely doubt that the withdrawal of two restaurants will mean the end of the EatOut Awards; there are plenty of other establishments to judge and rate and it’s such a big PR and marketing exercise with so many vested interests, that everyone (or most)  involved will 

want to keep the spice flowing (with apologies to Frank Herbert) for as long as possible.

Will I think less of the Awards now that I know neither The Test Kitchen or Mosaic will feature next year?  Hell, I don’t care about these Awards in the first place. At the top end of this particular pyramid, the restaurants with more emphasis on “innovative” and “creative” presentation than the cooking,  the standards and quality are high and I don’t really see how you can think that any particular eatery is “better” than the other.  It’s food, not rocket science.