49 replies to this topic

[Easyone]

Hi,

I'm a frequent lurker of this forum in need of some opinions. I will be hiring a catering company for my summer wedding and narrowed down my choices to Cook's Day Off and Little Piggy (use to be known as Captain Cooks).

Has anyone hired either of these caterers? If so, what was your experiences like with them?

Thank you!

[G-Man]

Well going by my love of baked goods Little Piggy would be my first choice. However I used to organize catering in the public service an we used cook's day off all the time and their entrees are absoutley amazing.

[Nparker]

I concur with G-Man, Cooks Day Off is excellent.

[Mike K.]

Can't go wrong with Cooks Day Off.

[Caramia]

I've used Cook's Day off before and been happy. But I recently experienced a couple of Little Piggy's deserts and they were so good I had to close my eyes while I ate them. I don't envy your choice.

[osmich]

I will never step foot in that place and I will tell you why. These two write restaurant reviews without any accreditation at all and this is a real problem.

Go on to their site http://thelittlepiggy.com and read how they write. It is one of the most atrocious writing styles I have seen in a long time and I told them that one time when I read a review they did of a local restaurant. I have listed their credentials below which are listed on their website. Check out how they spelled dining below on his credentials.

She: I have a professional background in cooking, journalism and education and am currently employed as a cooking instructor and as an operator of Little Piggy Catering (and no, we don't review caterers) and The Little Piggy Bakeshop and Eatery. My specific credentials are: Over a decade's experience in the food and beverage industry as a chef, educator and journalist Master of Education in adult education (UBC) Certificate in Journalism (Langara College)

He: Red Seal Chef Certification (AB)
Over a decade's experience in the food and beverage industry
Several years' experience working in fine dinning kitchens throughout Europe, North America and Australia
Awards in numerous pastry and culinary arts competitions
Professional wine and beverage training

Now, if she has a Masters in Education and a professional background in Journalism why is she writing the way she does? The website is full of spelling and grammatical errors and it really makes one wonder how anyone could take them seriously. The style of writing for a food critic is just sloppy and uninspiring. They are not restaurant writers, they are hacks and they should not be writing these critiques. It makes them look foolish.

Based on this alone would make me wonder how good their catering and organizational skills would really be.

[Holden West]

^Come on, get real. There's never been any accreditation required when writing restaurant reviews. Anyone can write a review. You don't need to be a former chef or restaurant owner. Even if you write for the New York Times.

However, I do think it's a bit weird when food service operations review other food service operations.

[Mike K.]

However, I do think it's a bit weird when food service operations review other food service operations.

Yeah, what's up with that?

[G-Man]

We review restaurants on this site all the time and I doutb any of us have any real credentials (maybe though, who knows?). In addition my writing is full of spelling mistakes which I sometimes correct and sometimes don't.

Anyways the way an operator acts whether good or bad should not make a difference in how you perceive the food. I learned this from the Soup Nazi, whom I met a couple of years ago actually.

Anyways the Little Piggy may be run by just two people but I thought that they were more of a cooperative then the sole producers with bakers and cooks from around the region providing food.

[osmich]

Accreditation was perhaps the wrong word to use. Of course there is no accreditation required to review anything however if you are going to do alot of reviewing like these two then at least sound like you know what you are doing. Considering the magnitute of their experience which is displayed on their site one would think that they might have picked up some clever culinary terminology along the way. Some of the best

Excellent point about them being food service operators while writing critiques of other restaurants. It places them in a very controversial place and I think they should stop what they are doing. It has to hurt their business as well because I am sure there are more people that think along the same lines as me.

It annoys me that these two can lay out their credentials for anyone to see yet display such dismal techniques in writing reviews of food service establishments. I know some people will say that it is their own opinion but Victoria is small and "some" people may really think they are a credible resource for whats what in Victoria dining when it is clear they are not. Look at their business and it should give "many" people an idea as to how much of a grain of salt one should take while reading their reviews and choosing whether to spend money at the Little Piggy Bakery or not.

If she is writing such reviews for everyone to see and she is in education and journalism then she should either hire an editor or stop uploading altogether.

[Holden West]

I think it's a little weird but still within their right. They say they don't review fellow caterers but still. Kind of like Oak Bay Hardware reviewing Big Barn Market or something. It wouldn't raise eyebrows with me if they were they kind of reviews published by EAT, Where, Boulevard or the Vic News that are non-critical; more like info or promo pieces.

Your claim of "dismal techniques" of writing is bizarre. Anyone can see the reviews are well-written for non-professionals. Jeez, if writing perfection obsesses you then this forum must annoy you to no end and the Internet in general must send you into fits of blind rage. I can only assume there's something else about them that bothers you that you're not telling us.

[osmich]

I read EAT so I suppose my standards in culinary reviews I read are high. You should never assume anything. The first time I came across a review from these guys I was never to be a customer of theirs.

Writing on a forum like this is much different than owning your own company, having a website and then writing so the world can see and judge. Their website is a marketing tool for them and I think what they are doing lacks huge credibilty. My opinion (probably many others also) only.

Pam Grant in the TC makes me cringe most of the time as well. Most of the time she is a horrible writer but then I was told she writes for the crowd that relates to her best. Probably the same at Little Piggy.

[duvaroo]

Cook's Day Off catered my sisters wedding and the food was amazing. It was a cocktail reception and the appy's were to die for. Plus they boxed up all the left overs (and there were a ton) for the gift opening the next day.
I can't comment on their writing style, but I would highly recommend the food.

[G-Man]

^ Haha

[Fergus]

It seems to me that those who don't appreciate their writing shouldn't bother to read it. If they are so offended that they don't wish to use the catering services, so be it. If the principals reviewing related businesses seems questionable, by all means boycott.

In my experience, the ability to write well is not an indicator of success in other areas. I can write well, but I would be a hopeless caterer as I lack the knowledge, skills, and experience.

[jklymak]

I like the Little Piggy website, and generally agree with their reviews. Their writing is not very polished, but that doesn't stop me from getting a good idea what the good and bad places to eat are in town, all in one place. If I want a literary journalistic experience I pick up something like The Atlantic.

[Fergus]

I should mention that I have never visited the site in question nor used any of their services. Nothing I wrote was intended to reflect a personal experience.

[littlepiggy]

I'm always looking for volunteer copy editors. Just as a matter of clarification - our website preceeded our business by a couple of years. I debated the relationship of the two extensively and decided based on the large amount of positive feedback I get about the site, to continue with it. Trust me, I understand the sometimes perceived conflict of interest, but I take limiting it seriously.

[Caramia]

Hi littlepiggy! Welcome to the forum!

[osmich]

A recent restaurant review TLP did was on Haro's in Sydney and this is what they said about dessert. "For dessert we had a lemon tart and a chocolate truffle cake. There were pleasant, but nothing to write home about and the presentation needed some work."

If that isn't a conflict I don't know what is. Isn't TLP a bakery amongst other things?

Will they please do a review on their own place and post it?