Top chef sparks fierce cheeseboard debate after calling out customer for expecting 'restaurants to just give food away'
22.04.2023 - 12:57
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A fierce cheese board debate has emerged after a Manchester chef called out a customer who complained when they were charged extra for butter as ‘expecting restaurants to just give food away’.
Simon Wood, a former MasterChef winner who owns Wood restaurant and cheese bar Homage in the city centre, posted an image on social media from a customer who recently dined at his restaurant and said they were charged when they asked for butter to accompany their cheese board.
The post’s caption said: “When you ask for butter with your cheese and crackers and get charged £2.50 for it. Looks pretty but come on... should be on the board without asking.”
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Responding to the post, the chef, who hails from Chadderton, wrote: “Why do people expect restaurants to just give food away? And I mean at any point, never mind in the current economic climate….
“If you order something that is or isn’t on the menu (as is the case here) it’s chargeable, I don’t think that’s unreasonable.”
The post has, naturally, sparked debate online over whether butter should be charged extra or not. One person responded to the chef's post by saying: “To be honest if I ordered a cheese board I would expect the crackers/biscuits/breads etc to be included, along with the butter.
“If there was butter included and someone asked for more then I'd still say its a grey area. Do you charge extra for milk and sugar in tea?”
To which Simon responded: “Butter isn’t on the board. There’s five wines, five cheese, unlimited crackers, one lot of bread and two chutneys for £25. That’s value enough. Pay for things that aren’t on the menu, butter doesn’t belong on a cheeseboard.”
Another sided with the chef by