Foodie Friends - Tea and Biscuits
A mysterious figure in the South Wales food scene, known only as "The Chief" gives a rare glimpse into the world that is "Tea and Biscuits".
When did you begin blogging and why?
We started 5 years ago for one simple reason: getting fed up reading unreliable, contradictory, poorly written reviews. Most of the time, you suspected the reviewer was the head chef, owner, or at the very leasttheir mother-in-law. And if could find a site with proper writing it was hopelessly compromised by advertising (who's going to take seriously a review when the facing page is taken up by an advert for the same restaurant?). So we thought we'd try to solve the problem with more of a community site, put together by a small bunch of reliable people, with plenty of space for readers to add their own comments. The readers seem to love it and it's now got a reputation is THE place to go for a reliable review on the restaurant you're about to visit. Plus we've now added a popular 'restaurant finder' so you can call up a selection of reviews by the location/price/style you're after.
Why do you enjoy blogging?
Revenge. Well kind of. I had some terrible experiences of being ripped up for utterly mediocre food, and wanted to tell everyone about it. And the reverse too - wanting to promote restaurants doing fantastic work but getting very little recognition for it.
The Vegetarian Food Studio was a good example in the early years. Nobody knew it was there, and I'd like to think we were part of getting them on the foodie map which has now seen them getting a national reputation and regularly featuring in the Observer Food Awards. There's a real sense of seeing justice done - great restaurants deserve to be known for being great, just as the dire should be known for being dire.
What is your favourite foodie thing about Cardiff?
Although we've got our fair share of chains, there are some fantastic entrepreneurs out there. Mint and Mustard is a great example, the first restaurant opened by a highly trained Indian chef. He'd been working in London for a few years but recognised Cardiff as a city where people are prepared to be adventurous with their food, and where they will pay good money if the quality is right. Now he's opened a street food offshoot next door, and the food is stunning. Anybody with that talent for food, and business bravery to match, deserves to succeed!
When did you begin blogging and why?
We started 5 years ago for one simple reason: getting fed up reading unreliable, contradictory, poorly written reviews. Most of the time, you suspected the reviewer was the head chef, owner, or at the very leasttheir mother-in-law. And if could find a site with proper writing it was hopelessly compromised by advertising (who's going to take seriously a review when the facing page is taken up by an advert for the same restaurant?). So we thought we'd try to solve the problem with more of a community site, put together by a small bunch of reliable people, with plenty of space for readers to add their own comments. The readers seem to love it and it's now got a reputation is THE place to go for a reliable review on the restaurant you're about to visit. Plus we've now added a popular 'restaurant finder' so you can call up a selection of reviews by the location/price/style you're after.
Why do you enjoy blogging?
Revenge. Well kind of. I had some terrible experiences of being ripped up for utterly mediocre food, and wanted to tell everyone about it. And the reverse too - wanting to promote restaurants doing fantastic work but getting very little recognition for it.
The Vegetarian Food Studio was a good example in the early years. Nobody knew it was there, and I'd like to think we were part of getting them on the foodie map which has now seen them getting a national reputation and regularly featuring in the Observer Food Awards. There's a real sense of seeing justice done - great restaurants deserve to be known for being great, just as the dire should be known for being dire.
What is your favourite foodie thing about Cardiff?
Although we've got our fair share of chains, there are some fantastic entrepreneurs out there. Mint and Mustard is a great example, the first restaurant opened by a highly trained Indian chef. He'd been working in London for a few years but recognised Cardiff as a city where people are prepared to be adventurous with their food, and where they will pay good money if the quality is right. Now he's opened a street food offshoot next door, and the food is stunning. Anybody with that talent for food, and business bravery to match, deserves to succeed!
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