National newspaper restaurant critics have always made a song and dance about their independence from, and towering contempt for, restaurant PRs. One withered old legend of the trade gave me a single piece of advice when I first landed this job, back in 2001: “Throw all the press releases away without reading them,” he said. “It’s the only way to retain your integrity.” This was over a six-course meal at Le Gavroche after which his bill, as was usual, did not feature our bottle of Taittinger Comte de Champagne, the meursault, the 1980s Chambolle-Musigny or digestifs. Corruption is in the eye of the beholder. “Doesn’t accept comps for restaurant reviews,” is a standard online bio brag, despite the implicit admission that the bragger does accept

Source: The Times August 12, 2020 16:07 UTC