Opinion

Do people expect Tom Kerridge to cook for free?

By Ed Bedington

- Last updated on GMT

Steaks are high: Tom Kerridge defends his cooking fee
Steaks are high: Tom Kerridge defends his cooking fee

Related tags Food Gastropub Branding + marketing Finance

Tom Kerridge has found himself under fire once again on social media for his steaks, with the knives out once more.

Last month saw the Michelin starred chef attacked for the price of his steak and chip offer at the two Michelin-starred Hand & Flowers, at an admittedly punchy £87 for the pub classic. 

That said, what are people expecting from one of the country’s leading gastropubs - a two for one deal with a free soft drink?

The pub offers diversity

Needless to say, the attack came from social media with wine journalist Guy Woodward blasting Kerridge’s claim to be a “proper pub” while charging high prices.

Again, perhaps the Michelin star bit slipped his notice, but last time I looked, the beauty of the pub trade was it’s diversity - from the local, no-nonsense community boozer, to the high end, fine-dining gastropub. 

However, the latest furore comes from Kerridge’s announcement of a new deal at his butcher’s shop-cum-pub, the Butcher’s Tap. Customers can pick up a steak and rather than take it home, they can have it cooked in house for £12.50.

Reality check

Apparently this is a disgrace according to the trolls on Twitter - imagine paying someone to cook your food! The cheek of it!

Clearly Tom should be cooking it for free and grateful that the customers would deign to allow him to do so.

I know the country has taken leave of it’s senses with the current fuel panic buying idiocy, but have we lost all sense of reality?

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