TripAdvisor row between ‘foodie’ and pub owner goes viral

A row on TripAdvisor between a self-professed “foodie” and a pub owner who fired back by criticising his choice of chips as a starter has gone viral online.

In his one-star review the diner, writing under the username Sinsand, complained of “aweful [sic] food and dire complaint handling” at the Bladebone Inn near Reading in Berkshire.

Owner and chef Kiren Puri, who trained at the Roux brothers’ Waterside Inn in Bray, was quick to respond, writing: “You claim to be foodies. I have never met a self professed foodie start [sic] his meal with a bowl of chips.”

The dispute was over a portion of beef rib with marrow bone smoke mash which Sinsand sent back claiming it was “tough”, only to be told by a “very incompetent and rude waiter,” who turned out to be Mr Puri, that the chef had tasted it and it was fine. Responding to the review, Mr Puri wrote: “People, like yourself, are a disease upon our wonderful industry”.