GEORGE TOWN, Grand Cayman (CNS) -- Up until now, restaurant reviews in Cayman Island publications tend to be tied to advertising, which is why they also tend to be glowing, whether it’s deserved or not.
But today, Cayman News Service launched the first of what will be a weekly column on CNS Business that will give honest, as-you-find-it reviews of the various eateries around Grand Cayman, for which we have recruited a small team of reviewers — the CNS Foodies. None of them are professional food critics but all of them love good food and the experience of eating out.
The CNS Foodies will be going undercover to review breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner at any restaurant, as well as food stands, fast food places and coffee shops. Afterwards they will give their Golden Spoon ratings for Food, Service, Ambiance, and Value for Money, based on their own personal experience and opinions.
None of the restaurants will know that a CNS Foodie is coming and none of the meals will be paid for by the place being reviewed or tied to advertising in any way. This does not mean that CNS will never have restaurant ads but this will never be discussed with a Foodie or influence the review.
The CNS Foodies will be going undercover so they have a normal customer experience. We don’t want restaurants to pull out all the stops because they know they are being reviewed.
The reviews will be based on their judgement of the food that was ordered, prepared and eaten on a particular day. Other people may have a completely different experience, so after each review readers can vote in our star ratings in the same categories and also vote as to whether they agree with the CNS Foodie or not. (The star ratings should function on all computers and devices and smart phones but please let us know if there are issues.)
And, of course, readers can always add their views in the comment section.