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Reform Social & Grill: the law is an ass

16/5/2013

14 Comments

 
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What a gift. This page is briefly stained by my tears of gratitude. Novelists don't usually have it so good do they, when something real happens (something unified, dramatic and pretty saleable), and they just write it down?
- Martin Amis, London Fields

Three years in to writing this blog, we didn't think we could be surprised; we were wrong. Scattered across the internet is an offer by Reform Social & Grill: lobster & a half bottle of wine for £14 (the offer is shown above, together with a screen-grab of our confirmation email). The siren call of such an offer was too good to miss, so we booked. Return tickets on the Titanic would have been better value. We know why lunch offers are made, loss leaders, the hope of up selling, extras and the spread of fixed overheads across a larger customer base; better to have a full restaurant right? Accordingly, the offer as advertised is good, but not too good to be true (so I thought). 

Up front, we should say that the manager Giovanni, after we registered our complaint, came to address our issue and did the best he could; the end result was that no charge was made for the meal. We clashed on ideologies however and ultimately he acquiesced, but then, I was the customer after all. Of course, I think I'm right, but feel free to judge. I liked Giovanni, he was reasonable, but if restaurants were a game of poker, he had just been dealt seven two offsuit, there's only so much you can do with that.

So the deal was this: having booked the above offer, and thinking that I was walking into the Reform to dine on lobster, chips and a half bottle of wine for £14 (I know, I know, a good deal), I hadn't properly read the small print. Despite the headlines, and a confirmation email, I was told on ordering that it was not lobster, but a lobster burger.

That said, as one to take a blow on the chin, and for £14, for a meal that was in any case an experiment, I can live with it, so I shrugged and didn't mind. Lobster burger, £14, hey, why not. The shocker however, the real punchline to this tale of woe, was that the lobster burger was later described as containing exactly: lobster 33%, crayfish 33%, pollock 33%. How was this possibly a 'native lobster burger' as described on the menu? Having expected something like Burger & Lobster's magnificent lobster roll, I was speechless when this bland patty of nothingness arrived. It tasted of nothing, really nothing and how would you possibly verify it even had 33% lobster in, you certainly couldn't taste it. Did I mention, it tasted of nothing?

To recap then, I sat down expecting lobster and chips and now I was eating a pollock burger. I debated this with Giovanni. "it's not a pollock burger" he said. But if it is 33% lobster, and 33% pollock, why is it any more a lobster burger than it is a pollock burger? The logic was damning. If this was a lobster burger, it was equally a crayfish burger or a pollock burger. Of course, lobster sounds better. Crayfish and pollock are only declared by the waitress, not the menu, and even then, not percentages, you are only told that the lobster burger contains crayfish and pollock so the patty can keep its form (and I even missed that, amnesia perhaps, which I can only put down to the shock of a rug being pulled from under my feet). 

With 33% lobster, 67% something else, Giovanni informed me "legally, we're allowed to call it a lobster burger". If to your customers you have to resort to "legally, we're allowed to..." then really, you've already lost the argument. I'm a diner, a customer, not a lawyer, and this is not a court of law. The dining room at Reform seats about 60+ people at a guess. My dining companion for the day, @cityjohn and I were the only two customers in the whole restaurant. Legally then you might be right, but an empty restaurant says your customers don't want to eat this shit. Giovanni tells me au contraire, it's very popular; even after they've eaten it I wonder? 

For £14, the wine was not bad, and the chips were good, thick cut and cooked pretty decent, but if I sign up for lobster, and that's the real and only reason I'm here, and the menu states 'native lobster burger', I don't expect to find myself eating pollock and crayfish as 66% of what's on my plate. They have a beefburger on the menu also, should we reasonably assume then that this too is only 33% beef and 66% something else because legally, that's all that they need? Nay.

This was, in my opinion, the most cynical manipulation of a menu description that we have encountered since starting the blog. Had the manager not pointed out that it was legal, and I'm sure he's right (after all, we now get horse meat in crispy pancakes instead of beef), I would have questioned its legality, but as Chapman said as long ago as 1654, 'the law is an ass'.

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Post Script

Two weeks after publishing this post, Reform Social & Grill continue to have a board outside the restaurant that advertises "Steak or Lobster with chips and a half bottle of wine - £14"

I enquired of the restaurant whether they had modified the offer to include a lobster rather than a lobster/crayfish/pollock burger. They replied

We haven't changed the offer's label as we ensure that guests are aware of what it includes at site and via 3rd parties.

We'll leave readers to make up their own minds as to whether this is misleading advertising or not.

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native lobster burger contains 33% crayfish and 33% pollock, but apparently it is legal to call it a lobster burger
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lobster burger (see above)
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the alternative meal deal, hanger steak, lots of garlic
Reform Social and Grill on Urbanspoon
14 Comments
@stegabyte link
15/5/2013 11:16:15 pm

I love your reviews. I also love your praise of the manager. Unsurprisingly, I'm with you. Whenever anyone resorts to the 'legal' argument, they've missed the point.

More in Birmingham area please!
(Have you considered @brumyumyum 's Streetfood market?)

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TCC
16/5/2013 04:21:51 am

we aim to be in Birmingham this summer!

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Ed link
16/5/2013 12:46:29 am

Wow. Amazing that the most damning bit of all the review is probably the picture of the burger! Grim.

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Lindsay
16/5/2013 12:59:42 am

That "mixed fish burger" looks utterly revolting. Legally they might be correct. But what's the point being right when the food is so wrong that a customer will never go back. And this review is going to put off a lot of potential customers. Which serves them right.

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PJC
16/5/2013 02:30:58 am

It is places like that this that irk me about London dining - we have so many wonderful restaurants to go to if you know where to look, but it is still far too easy to have a mediocre meal.

My visiting foreign friends always leave London knowing it is a fantastic place for food and drink, but I pity the tourists who haven't done the research required to avoid the places that give London its undeserved reputation as a poor place to eat.

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Simon
16/5/2013 03:05:22 am

WOW! This has brought a smile to my face on my boring Thursday morning. I agree with Ed that picture of the "lobster burger" looks awful and they try and sell that for £18 on the standard menu?! I will be staying well clear of this place.

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edgeandspoon link
16/5/2013 04:05:15 am

Wonderful, funny review that says it like it is. Shame that you had to go through such a foul experience though! Not that it's important, but how was the steak?

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TCC
16/5/2013 04:16:55 am

CityJohn was my dining companion and he had the steak. I believe he might be doing his own blog post shortly.

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Reform Social and Grill
16/5/2013 04:13:41 am

Dear Critical Couple,

We would like to apologise for your experience last night, we are deeply sorry that you felt deceived by this offer.

Thank you for making us aware about how you felt this offer is perceived; even though it was negative we are very grateful for your feedback.

Please get in touch with us via Email ( Reception@reformsocialgrill.com ) to arrange a compensation dinner on us.

Many thanks,

Reform Social and Grill

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Ginge
16/5/2013 04:58:55 am

Have u been to little social DAVE? It rocks

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TCC
16/5/2013 05:06:01 am

I have, it's great. Jason Atherton's new place is also now open, Social Eating House in Poland Street, very very good and cool bar upstairs (The Blind Pig).

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Anna
16/5/2013 10:01:08 am

Oh dear! Although, I suppose you could be greatful for not just getting a "lobster burger"....a burger with lobster mayonnaise on top. Maybe that would have been nicer... x

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Newport beach business lawyers link
26/8/2022 01:40:20 pm

Had the manager not pointed out that it was legal, and I'm sure he's right , I would have questioned its legality, Thank you, amazing post!

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Terminate parental rights california link
26/8/2022 01:56:46 pm

If to your customers you have to resort to legally, we're allowed to then really, you've already lost the argument. Thank you for making this such an awesome post!

Reply



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