It is admirable Downes advocates mutually exclusive spheres for critics and restaurateurs/chefs but he fails to recognise the very cornerstone of the food industry - humanity. It is almost impossible, in the human sphere, to remain detached from the people who contribute deeply to the substance and framework of the ‘hospitality industry’. To demand this goes against the grain and leads me to ask whether Downes truly understands hospitality, three decades of nitpicking analysis notwithstanding.

Now that I think of it, I am reminded of a review he wrote about a restaurant called Locarno where, amongst other things, he lambasted the venue for its diabolic seating which forced Mr. Downes to touch knees with Mrs. Downes all evening long. I’m not certain how this added to the canon of worthy restaurant appraisals but I’m glad he managed to put a stop to such shennanigans.

Pity for such a poorly worded and thinly-disguised ad-hominem attack.

Are Stephen’s circulation numbers getting you down?

Maybe you could show where Mr Downes said - even implied - that other food critics were “corrupt” in his essay?

A detestably incorrigible accusation.

(EDIT … last chance MPM))