Food Blog Review Guidelines
by foodethics
Beyond The Code we believe there should be guidelines for maintaining consistent standards and fair practices in food blogging.
We believe it is important for the reputation of food blogs that we hold ourselves to higher standards of conduct when reviewing the culinary media, food industry and its products.
Food Blog Restaurant Review Guidelines
1. We will be thorough.
- We will consult the Association of Food Journalist guidelines to maintain a standard for reviews.
2. We will be fair when reviewing a restaurant
- We will do our best to visit a restaurant more than once before passing a final judgment.
- We will do our best to sample a full range of items on menu.
- We will be fair to new restaurants. If we post about a new restaurant we will tell our readers about our initial impressions. If possible, we will wait at least one month after the restaurant opens, allowing them to work out some kinks, before writing a full-fledged review.
- If we receive an item for free or if we are recognized during our reviewing process, we will mention so in our review.
- While anonymity is important when dining out and conducting a review, we will not hide behind a pseudonym. If complete anonymity is required for personal or professional safety, we will not post anything that we wouldn’t feel comfortable putting our name on and owning up to.
Food Blog Code of Ethics 
I’m generally in agreement with this. I think it applies moreso when saying something bad about a place than when your initial impressions are good. If I say “this place rocks” and I’m wrong, I’ve just cost a few people a bad meal. If I say “this place sucks” and I’m wrong, I might cost the restaurant their business. So the responsibility is asymmetrical.
A blogger might not always be able to do multiple visits, but you should indeed make clear when you have only had a single trip and tasted a few things.
Michael, thank you so much for the comment. It’s important that people understand that The Code, as written first and foremost as guidelines. We agree that timeliness is of extreme importance, especially in blogging. We aren’t against writing about new restaurants. We do, however, believe that new restaurants, like infants, need time to adjust and acclimate to their environment. To give a final judgment on a restaurant before it has time to adjust is unfair. Major newspapers don’t publish reviews on restaurants until something like six or more weeks have passed. In our code we say: “If, however, we chose to post about a new restaurant because of timeliness and competitiveness, we will instead offer readers “initial impressions.”
And it’s true. Most of us don’t have deep pockets to pay for multiple visits. We just think it’s fair to be clear when you have only visited a restaurant once.
Very well put. Many bloggers do reviews on food products, cookbooks, and gear rather than restaurants. I think adding material on those type of reviews would also be appropriate.
Hi Andrea. We’re with you.
Check out “The Code” tab.
4. We will disclose gifts, comps and samples
When something is given to us or offered at a deep discount because of our blog, we will disclose that information. As bloggers, most of us do not have the budgets of large publications, and we recognize the value of samples, review copies of books, donated giveaway items and culinary event, but it’s import to disclose freebies to avoid accusations of conflicts of interest.
Count me in. Great outline for what we should be doing. Can you send this to the Congress?
Great stuff!
When I travel, I often write about where I eat on my website and on my blog. But I only have the opportunity to eat there once, so it’s more “my experience” rather than a “review.” Hope that’s ok.
I’m also careful of what I see as conflict of interest; I don’t think I’d write about one of the restaurants for which I work.
Thanks formerchef. We’re just suggesting if you only go once, say so. Sounds like you’ve got it though.
I don’t agree that you can simply pick up guidelines written for newspaper reviewers and apply them to bloggers. All blogs have, or should have, their own personality, but most restaurant blogposts are like mine, a report of my impressions of a single meal which I had ordered according to my tastes, mood and budget. While I usually make generalisations at the end, I think anyone can tell that it is not a “review.”
Hi Michael, We feel that we have tweaked these guidelines to make more sense for the food blogging world, but we’re open to suggestions.
I have worked as a professional journalist, and believe in upholding reasonable standards. However, there is no way I would subscribe to a code which absolutely prohibits me from reviewing restaurants on the basis of one visit or from posting reviews before a restaurant is a month old. Repeat visits are sometimes useful and necessary, but not always – if two or even four diners sample the menu widely, and find the restaurant satisfactory, there’s no need to repeat the experience two or three times. And rightly or wrongly, the truth is that reviews of new restaurants which appear four or more weeks after OTHER reviews will not be read.
I salute your motives, but the code is too stringent for a competitive field where writers have very small budgets. Also, restaurateurs will continue to love bloggers who give them good reviews and hate bloggers who don’t, regardless of the existence of any code.
I agree with a lot of this, but I’ve got a different take on the issue of anonymity. I’ve written a much briefer manifesto of sorts here: http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/2009/03/food-critics-manifesto.html which is more about why I’m at it and what my goals are than an avowal of journalistic standards and ethics (though I adhere to those, too.) To excerpt: “I strive to preserve my anonymity so restaurateurs are less likely to see me coming and thereby try to improve my experience over that of the typical diner.”
If you’ve read Reichl’s “Garlic and Sapphires”, you know what I’m getting at here. “The berries get bigger” when you’re recognized as a food critic; the restaurant strives to make your meal as perfect as it can be, both from the front and back of house. Your experience will likely not reflect that of the average diner walking in off the street, which can hurt your credibility. “That idiot MC raved about Chez Hoity-Toity, and I didn’t think it was all that. That’s the last time I trust that fool’s recommendations.”
I still wouldn’t write anything that I wouldn’t want my real name attached to — no food writer goes unrecognized forever, so you should assume that restaurateurs already know or will eventually find out who you are — but I still believe there’s good reason not to make it easy for them to recognize you.
First and foremost, The Code is a set of guidelines. Not rules or laws. We kept things simple here so that there was room for interpretation for each individual blogger.
We aren’t against writing about new restaurants. We do, however, believe that new restaurants, like infants, need time to adjust and acclimate to their environment. To give a final judgment on a restaurant before it has time to adjust is unfair. Major newspapers don’t publish reviews on restaurants until something like six or more weeks have passed. In our code we say: “If, however, we chose to post about a new restaurant because of timeliness and competitiveness, we will instead offer readers “initial impressions.”
And it’s true. Most of us don’t have deep pockets to pay for multiple visits. We just think it’s fair to be clear when you have only visited a restaurant once.
I love this. I think all the “this is too strict” comments can be answered simply by referring back to ethical common sense. And full disclosure. Blogs are about writing in your own voice, and you want your audience to be able to trust your voice. Full disclosure only helps the bond of trust between reader and blogger.
Kathy
Yes, I agree with Kathy – in some ways, the whole set of guidelines could be be boiled down to two words: “be transparent”. If you only ate there once, say so. If it was the first week they were open, say so. If you are vegetarian and only tried the one veg item on the menu, say so. If you are the owner’s son’s best friend’s boyfriend, say so. If the owner recognized you and bought you a beer, say so. If you actually never liked Albanian food but you are giving it one last try, say so. Just be honest and upfront about any circumstances that would help people interpret and apply your review to their own circumstances, and it is ethically fine, in my opinion.
Transparency and honesty are important. Fairness may or may not be. Blogs (as noted) have their own personality, and the variety among them is one of their greatest strengths. Someone might enjoy reading a blog that is consistently offensive in its tone and jumps to irrational conclusions. As long as the blogger is up front about what he or she is doing, I don’t see a moral problem with this.
Sure, you might say that this sort of thing wouldn’t be a serious restaurant review, but I don’t think that it is possible to identify a clear cut-off point where a review becomes serious.
Nice to see. As a Chef, all we ask is that any review, professional or via a blog, is fair and as positive as possible. Constructive criticism is always welcomed. Negative comments or personal attacks serve no purpose. And a word to all bloggers – if you find something seriously wrong with your meal, complain POLITELY to the establishment. Our main purpose is for you to enjoy your meal and to leave happy. Any restaurant worth visiting will be more than happy to replace something you find isn’t up to standard.
We embrace blogs as a legitimate form or review and comment. Using your blog to air a personal grievance will only mean that you are shunned in the future, or once you are recognised by the trade, asked to leave. We’re in this together.
Technically, complaining is a negative comment.
Are you suggesting that a negative review should never be published? That a restaurant reviewer should only publish reviews of restaurants they like?
To me, that sounds unethical.
John, please have another look at what we wrote. We think criticism is important, regardless if it is negative or positive. What I think you are responding to is our goal to be civil in whatever we write. Civility does not exclude negativity. Just how it’s phrased.
I actually read it quite a few times, thank you very much, and am slightly insulted at your inference that I lack reading comprehension skills.
But, since you so obviously feel that I couldn’t understand what was initially said, please clarify how:
“Negative comments or personal attacks serve no purpose” and “all we ask is that any review, professional or via a blog, is fair and as positive as possible”
can’t be interpreted as ‘Don’t write a negative review.’?
And while I appreciate you trying to interpret what someone else wrote for me, I’d rather hear from the person who actually wrote it, because only he knows what he meant. And he surely didn’t say ‘Just be civil.’ He outright said be ‘as positive as possible.’ which to me says ‘don’t be negative’.
John,
No insult was meant to you. There seems to be some confusion. I am still unclear what portion of text you are referring to–within this site–since what you are referring to does not seem to be our words.
For the record we state: We wholeheartedly believe in freedom of speech, but we also acknowledge that our experiences with food are subjective. We promise to be mindful—regardless of how passionate we are—that we will be forthright, and will refrain from personal attacks.
And the authors of this blog are two women. What man are you referring to?
I agree totally with the only going once thing. You can’t really review a restaurant if you’ve only sampled “some” of the variety on offer. Its like saying just because a car has made one bad model; All the models made by them are bad and therefore they get a bad review. But like above, it all comes down to opinion and freedom of speech. We should just be careful as to how free we are.
Thanks for the post it will help me when im doing reviews for other bloggers
[…] credibility, as well as sustainability, of gratis meals for bloggers. WordPress even publishes a code of ethics for food bloggers, building upon a more detailed set of guidelines put forth by the Association of […]
When I saw the Food Ethics Blog come up I did think that a huge storm was off the horizon…
What I really love is that this has inspired you to write some really passionate things… and I love that. This post is well put together and a pleasure to read!
Just be honest and upfront about any circumstances that would help people interpret and apply your review to their own circumstances, and it is ethically fine, in my opinion.
I think ethics and transparency are so important in all types of blogging, online and social media. There are so many blurred lines around content ownership and blogging, so I think the section on attribution is particularly important. Well done!