Nothing to commend this level of mediocrity !!

Who's to blame - us or them? The consumer or the provider... It's all around us - mediocrity going unpunished. That is why the exceptional is still so relatively rare and stands out like a beacon. What I can't understand is why people think they can deliver mediocrity that they think is acceptable and worse still, 90% of people are prepared to overlook this. The vast majority of hotels, places to eat and drink are in that place that is so far from even "good" that it leaves me aghast. So back to my original question: "who's to blame etc..." Maybe the root of all of this is that provider and consumer deserve each other and are actually in an unwitting symbiosis. The provider can deliver fare that needs to be no better than the standards of the consumer: little matter that this is not of any quality at all by wider criteria. Reality TV perfectly illustrates the Dunning Kruger effect - just look at Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares; it's car crash TV that delivers all the right ingredients for keeping the viewer hooked. A motley collection of half-witted underachievers that actually have little concept of why they are so close to bankruptcy. They are unconscious incompetents - a variation of the popular football terrace chant could be "they're sh*t and they don't know they are..." These people have a totally over-inflated opinion of their talents and the fruits of their labour. That's why it comes as such a shock when they are faced with the truth and pass onto the next stage of learning - conscious incompetence: realising just how bad they are and that the skills they possess are not enough to deliver what is required. Unfortunately these guys that get the dream makeover are a minute minority and the vast delusional majority muddle on in blissful ignorance - at our expense - or at least the expense of those who probably deserve no better. But there are those of us who believe we do deserve better and we are constantly getting short-changed. The most simple of standards are in scarce supply. Here's my list a few simple pre-requisites for a good eating or drinking place or a hotel:• That they actually care and show it sincerely• They sweat the small things – attention to detail• They have a commitment to excellence – slightly below this just will not do• The atmosphere is relaxed and enjoyable• You feel you've had an exceptional experience with value for moneySo how do we convert the mediocre majority to the mediocre minority? You could argue that the whole mission starts with the consumer. As people become better educated in taste and quality, then their standard threshold increases and what was acceptable becomes no longer so. This sea change then imperceptibly permeates through the service providers who realise that their livelihood is on the line. This is actually happening now with our new found fascination with food & drink. Whether or not it is happening fast enough is arguable but we are on the right track. How many food & drink programmes are there on TV? – probably too many. Chefs who formerly eschewed publicity are now lining up to fill their boots with the fiscal rewards available. What irritates me slightly is those who used to be sanctimonious about the cheapening effect that TV has, now are the most ubiquitous. A certain Mr Ramsey was merciless in his ridicule of “Ready Steady Tw*t” as he called it, and the likes of Worrell Thomson and yet there seems to be no programme that doesn't feature his weathered visage now. There's a certain gross hypocrisy at play – probably only mitigated by the obvious documented talent that the guy possesses. It's good to see Marco Pierre White back in the kitchen as well although there's a certain touch of the pantomime villain about his performances as MPW plays on his fearsome reputation. Again, there's no doubting the genius of the protagonists though and in the wider scheme of things their efforts can only bring a positive effect to the wider industry.So what we can do is always demand the best and be vocal, in a reasoned way, when we don't receive this. People and establishments only learn from “feedback”and if we stay silent then they think all's fine. Everybody benefits when quality and standards increase. We get a memorable gustatory experience and they develop their skills and gain fulfilment in their work. It's a formula with no losers – what better incentive…

A User - 04/08/2008 | report this review