08/09/2026
In a world of endless scrolling, thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read my post.
A little perspective…
We’ve had a bit of a rough run with Google reviews over the last couple of weeks.
I respond to every review personally, and I try to do it with integrity and without being defensive. There are times when we genuinely make mistakes — and when we do, we own them. We apologise, we learn from them and we try to do better.
But there are also times when it is simply a mismatch of expectations or personal taste.
As important as it is for a customer to make us feel their dissatisfaction, I also believe it is our responsibility to explain our approach so that prospective guests reading the reviews can understand where we are coming from.
I don't particularly enjoy writing long responses or essays. I would much rather be in the kitchen cooking. But sometimes I feel it is important to express our perspective.
Taste is personal. Cooking has science to it, but cuisson is also subject to interpretation. What one person considers medium, another might consider medium-rare. What one person finds beautifully simple, another might find underwhelming.
We put our best into what we do every single day, but sometimes we fall short. We are human, after all.
And sometimes, despite doing what we believe is right, we simply don't get it right for someone. We can't read anyone's mind, so all we can do is give our best and try to create a delightful experience.
In hospitality, we can't hide behind excuses. If something isn't right, a simple conversation gives us an opportunity to understand the problem and, where possible, rectify it.
When we only find out through Google days later, unfortunately, all we can do is respond.
A positive review — whether it comes on the day, through Google or on social media — makes our day. We celebrate it. We take it as encouragement that perhaps we are doing something right.
A negative review makes us stop.
We reflect.
We review.
We improve.
We progress.
But every now and then, we read something that makes our hearts sink.
When a dish described as an heirloom purple carrot is described as a carrot “soaked in beetroot”, for example, it is difficult not to want to explain what was actually on the plate. Not because we want to argue with someone's taste, but because there is a difference between not liking something and misunderstanding what it was.
At the end of the day, we are a tiny, independent family business.
We know that when you choose to spend your hard-earned money with us, you are choosing us over countless other places. We don't take that for granted.
We are incredibly conscious of that responsibility, and every day we come to work determined to give you our very best.
These are challenging economic times, and the support of our customers genuinely helps us survive.
So to everyone who has visited us, recommended us, written a review, shared a post, brought friends, or simply chosen to have dinner at Dyer's — thank you. ❤️
And yes…
We are desperately in need of a good review at the moment! 😂
If you’ve enjoyed your experience with us, we’d genuinely appreciate you taking a couple of minutes to tell others.
We'll keep doing what we do best — cooking, learning, improving and trying to make your visit a delightful one.
