Townhead Cafe owner slams food critic's battering

Apr 16 2008 By John Rowbotham

LANARKSHIRE’S top chippie this week hit back after a battering by one of Scotland’s top restaurant reviewers.

Gordon Hillan was responding to Ron McKenna’s scathing account of his visit to Biggar’s Townhead Cafe.

The Herald restaurant critic had no complaints about the food produced by the cafe, crowned Britain’s top fish and chip shop in January.

However, he described the service as “appalling and embarrassing” and gave the 52-seat cafe only 11 marks out of 30.

Mr McKenna was exasperated at having to wait 15 minutes for a table, even though there were tables vacant.

He also described the staff as grumpy, unhelpful and lacking in direction.

And he was perturbed to see what he claimed was a waiter carrying a pile of sliced bread “in his hand”.

As Mr McKenna waited to be served, he was left to contemplate “how a chip shop adrift in a pretty Lanarkshire village can become the UK’s chipper of the year”.

The answer, as the review explains, was the food.

The fish was fresh, the batter light and crisp, and the chips “an absolute triumph”.

Mr Hillan (44) and his wife Sandra acquired the Townhead cafe in 2005.

He has been in the fish and chip business for 30 years and has a second award-winning chippie, the Alhambra Cafe, in Main Street, Bellshill.

Business at the Townhead rocketed by 100 per cent following publicity surrounding the chippie of the year award, with punters coming from all over Lanarkshire to sample the fish and chips.

Mr Hillan was dismayed by Mr McKenna’s review and blamed the lapses in service on an incident involving a customer.

“Ron came in on Easter Monday when we were absolutely mobbed,” he added.

“We sold 20 stone of fish and served about 700 customers in six hours that day.

“Unfortunately, he was in at a time when there was an incident happening in the shop.

“There was a confrontation between an irate customer and a member of staff and things got out of hand.”

He said his staff were not “timid souls” but they had been shocked by the level of abuse they received from the customer.

He had investigated Mr McKenna’s claim that bread had been carried to a table by hand.

“What happened was that bread and butter from downstairs was brought up to the restaurant from downstairs but carried in a napkin,” added Mr Hillan.

The Townhead boss said that since Mr McKenna’s visit, a member of staff had left the company.

Mr Hillan felt Mr McKenna’s review lacked perspective, adding: “Alongside our review was a table of Ron’s top 25 restaurants with Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles at number one.

“He has to remember he was eating in a fish and chip shop where a sit-down supper for two costs £15. You would be lucky to get a drink for £15 in Gleneagles.”

Mr Hillan said winning the UK accolade had led to sniping from rivals.

Mr McKenna’s review would supply his critics with further ammunition.

It’s not, however, put off customers.

“We had people come in on Saturday on the strength of Ron’s recommendation about the food,” added Mr Hillan.