Owners of top restaurant group speak out after being targeted by criminals
Blackmailers have targeted Restaurant 8 and demanded thousands of pounds from the owners with the threat of posting a flood of fake one-star reviews.
The restaurant, part of a larger group owned by chef Andrew Sheridan and Sam Morgan spanning the North West and Wales, is being targeted by criminals threatening to fill their WhatsApp booking service with damning reviews should they not pay up.
When the pair refused to pay the initial demand of £2000, one-star reviews began to flood into their booking system, Sam told BBC Radio 4's You and Yours.
Using the well-known flagship consumer affairs programme to seemingly get ahead of the blackmailers and flag the reviews as fake, Sam explained his concerns that customers taking the reviews as truthful could ruin their business, and could happen to others.
"The weapon is fear," he said. "I think this happens more, we are not just isolated.
"Unless we speak up about it, other people will bury their head in the sand, their businesses are going to get destroyed."
In what appears to be a bungled effort to influence potential customers, one fake review mentioned drinks that aren't served in the restaurant and named a member of staff who had never worked there.
The fake review read: "Wine list was very poor and very overpriced. Our chef Jake was fantastic but the lack of drinks choice and excessive price really lets this venue down, how can anyone warrant £90 for prosecco?"
For those in need of reassurance on the quality of dining on offer at the three AA-rosette awarded, Michelin Guide-included fine dining restaurant, look no further than our glowing review from Liverpool Confidentials' Olivia Potts in October last year.
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