Entertainment

Michelin-starred restaurant posts hilarious response to bloggers looking for free meal

Garrett Byrne, of Campagne, had no time for reviewers who asked for a free meal for two in exchange for “significant online exposure”.
Garrett Byrne, of Campagne, had no time for reviewers who asked for a free meal for two in exchange for “significant online exposure”. Garrett Byrne, of Campagne, had no time for reviewers who asked for a free meal for two in exchange for “significant online exposure”.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, especially if you are a cheeky food blogger looking for a freebie at this Michelin-starred restaurant in Kilkenny, Ireland.

Garrett Byrne, chef and proprietor of Campagne, had absolutely no time for reviewers who asked for a free meal for two in exchange for “significant online exposure”.

In a tweet on the restaurant’s social media account, Byrne posted a section of the email that said: “We will be in Kilkenny specifically on 10 October.

“In exchange for a vegan meal for two (we would ideally like to try several items on the menu), we would be happy to provide significant online exposure on both our blogs and social media accounts.”

In addition to writing various blog posts, the bloggers also promised they would be “live tweeting, Facebook, Instagram as we visit your restaurant”.

Byrne, who declined to identify the bloggers, said he gets around 10 similar requests a year but this one, for some reason, got a reaction from him.

“It wasn’t any different to the other ones,” he said. “I was reading this email the first thing in the morning and I thought, ‘Oh here we go again’.

“Normally I wouldn’t even respond but I did to this one. I just said ‘no’.”

Campagne Restaurant Kilkenny.
Campagne Restaurant Kilkenny. (Paul Sherwood paul@sherwood.ie)
Garrett Byrne, chef and proprietor of Campagne (Campagne)

Byrne says he finds these requests “really weird”, ading: “I wouldn’t go down to the doctor and ask for an appointment, then ask for something free and tweet about it or put it on Instagram.

“I know requests like these (free meals) happen but I am just not into that kind of thing.”

Byrne’s light-hearted response appeared to be well-received on Twitter, with many coming up with their own hilarious suggestions and demands.

Some fellow bloggers appeared to be embarrassed on their behalf.

Although not everyone agreed.

Byrne said people take photos of their meals at Campagne all the time but they don’t ask him for free meals.

He also added that he understood why some bloggers and businesses do it but said that kind of publicity wasn’t for him.

Campagne Restaurant Kilkenny.
Campagne Restaurant Kilkenny. (Photographer: Paul Sherwood)
Campagne restaurant in Kilkenny (Campagne)

“It’s just too ridiculous,” he added.

Byrne said his tweet has received a lot of attention from the other side of the Atlantic but believes their “chances of coming here are slim”, although he admits he was surprised by the overall positive response on social media.

And as for free meals at Campagne?

“After this, I don’t think I am ever going to get an email request again,” he joked.