Wetherspoons blasted by Sunday Times food critic in scathing review

'Don’t for God’s sake order the food’

(Instagram/marinagpoloughlin)

A top restaurant critic has polarised readers of The Sunday Times this weekend with a scathing review of JD Wetherspoon.

Visiting the pub chain’s newest outpost in Ramsgate, Marina O’Loughlin slated the “calorific” menu and advises prospective visitors to avoid the food altogether.

The esteemed critic – who succeeds the late AA Gill - received a slew of vitriolic responses from readers for what is only her third column in the role.

O’Loughlin, clearly unimpressed by the pub’s culinary offerings, slates every dish she names.

From the mushy peas (“fag ash”) to the quinoa and chicken salad (“impacted cardboard”) to the mixed grill (“the sort of thing you might scoop out of the bottom of Hannibal Lecter’s recycling bin”), not even a mere chicken burger ("flabby") could win the highly-sought-after-critic’s seal of approval.

Not even a sip of one of Wetherspoons’ trademark cocktail pitchers managed to dull the repulsion of O’Loughlin’s tastebuds: “Calpol and diabetic coma.”

While she admits to being “no convert” to the Wetherspoons fandom, O’Loughlin insists that even in her “skint” days she would've favoured a fish and chip shop to the “nasty” Wetherspoons.

Naturally, loyal fans of the iconic British chain have taken to Twitter to lambaste O’Loughlin for what many deemed an “elitist” review.

“Over privileged much? Back to your ivory tower,” wrote one disgruntled reader.

“You’ve done the lovely Middle Class thing of looking down on something you’re too privileged to understand,” added another.

Taking the criticism in good spirits, O’Loughlin responded in a jovial tweet: “been called some magnificently vile sweary names on here today it seems. I applaud everyone's creativity!”

As for the scorned venue in question, they will continue to serve their “fag-ash peas” un-phased by the ravaging of restaurant critics, with a spokesperson for JD Wetherspoon telling The Independent:

“She is a reviewer and is entitled to say what she wants.”