en en fi en oc en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en it en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en fa en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en de en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en es en en en en
If, like most of the population in December, you were engulfed by the seasonal tsunami of tat and tinsel, then you are likely to have missed the story of what happened when the unforgettably named Oobah Butler decided to launch and promote his restaurant in 2017. Let me tell you.
Week after week, reports were posted on TripAdvisor from delighted patrons of ‘The Shed’, a new establishment located in the smart south London suburb of Dulwich (which is, coincidentally, very close to my own not-quite-so-smart borough of Bromley). Nobody had a bad word to say about the restaurant, praising its food and service in glowing terms. Mr Butler was, needless to say, delighted.
The restaurant’s own website was illustrated with photographs of mouth-watering meals and, so great was the on-line enthusiasm of its patrons, that ‘The Shed’ speedily reached the review site’s top rank. Indeed, the restaurant critic of The Guardian welcomed its arrival on the Capital’s gastronomic scene and praised it for recognising that, in his words, “food is all about mood”.
The only fly in this massive pot of oleaginous ointment was that ‘The Shed’ was a figment of Mr Butler’s imagination. As a restaurant, that is.
It exists as a shed. At the bottom of his garden. A large wooden shed with a flat roof and a glazed door. I assume it contains a fine selection of garden tools and all the stuff a chap needs to fit out the special space to which chaps retreat when they want to potter chisels and screwdrivers and hammers and pliers, and so forth. Power tools, perhaps.
But by no stretch of the imagination is it a restaurant. The rave reviews for ‘The Shed’ in Dulwich were written by him and his friends, who were in on the hoax. He convinced TripAdvisor that it was a real restaurant by registering a mobile phone number to its name. The lack of an address was explained away by the fact that the restaurant was ‘appointment only’.
Naturally, potential diners phoning the number were told ‘The Shed’ was fully booked. Which, knowing human nature, probably made them all the more eager to get a table. And no doubt they kept ringing in hope of success. Vain hope, of course.
Now, as someone who knows a bit about the finer points of hoaxing (but that is a story for another day), I take my hat off to Oobah Butler and his chums.
They have reminded us, in spades, that information encountered on the internet needs to be approached with caution. The more so when you have no way of knowing where ‘news’ and opinions come from.
From the moment, many years ago, that these sites appeared, with their ‘independent’ judgements of hotels and restaurants, etc., it was obvious that unscrupulous folk could possibly take advantage of them.
Glowing recommendations purporting to come from satisfied diners and guests were just as likely to have been written by the establishments’ owners or managers – who were equally adept at posting vitriolic assessments of their competitors.
And there were, also, genuine diners or guests who would threaten establishments with a bad review unless they got a discount on their meal or their room. Both these scenarios were widely acknowledged to exist, within the travel and hospitality industry.
In short, the whole concept was – and is – wide open to fraud.
When Mr Butler’s hoax was revealed, TripAdvisor had a slight hissy fit.  “Generally, the only people who create fake restaurant listings are journalists in misguided attempts to test us,” a spokesman declared.
He went on to claim that ‘state-of-the-art technology’ was used to combat fraudsters trying to rig the ratings. I don’t know much about technology, but I have my doubts that any system, no matter what state-of-the-art it happens to be, can differentiate between a truth and a lie.
The most powerful computer known to mankind – the human brain – is incapable of doing so, as we all know from personal experience.
In carrying out his hoax, Mr Butler has provided us with a warning of how much ‘ake news’ is out there on the internet, pretending to be truth.  Indeed, he clinched it for me by admitting that he knew how to work the ratings system because he once made a living writing fake restaurant reviews on TripAdvisor for £10 a pop.
I am, of course, biased, but this story also reinforces my belief in the superiority of Silver Travel Advisor.
To begin with, what you read here is written by people who put their names to their opinions, and are prepared to have them tested. People who, in the main, have a lifetime of experience which gives them the ability to make a considered judgement.
At the start of my career as a travel journalist I was told that the opinion people value most is that of someone who has been to the destination or the hotel they are thinking of using. Or who has sailed on the very ship they are tempted to select for their next cruise. And the advice is all the more valuable when it comes from someone they know.
“No matter how much you learn, or how well you write about it,” one old timer told me, “you’ll never be able to compete with a family member, a neighbour or a workmate. They’re believed because they are known and trusted.”
I was lucky in that television made me ‘known’ to millions of people who came to trust my judgement almost as much as that of their friends and neighbours. Believe me, the folk who contribute to the Silver Travel Advisor site are just as worthy of your trust.
But, before we leave the saga of the non-existent Dulwich restaurant, may I ask you to spare a kind thought for ‘The Shed’ in Palace Gardens Terrace, Notting Hill.
That ‘Shed’ is a real restaurant. Serving real meals to real diners.  Courtesy of Google street view I have been to Palace Gardens Terrace and established its existence. I am sure the publicity surrounding the fake ‘Shed’ over in Dulwich must have had an effect on its Notting Hill namesake, but I hope it all turns out well.
For the real ‘Shed’ is, overwhelmingly, an excellent restaurant.
According, that is, to its online ratings.
393 people found this helpful
Long-time presenter of TV’s ‘Wish You Were Here’ and BBC holiday programmes
Leave a comment Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published.
Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Sign up to our newsletter to receive the latest travel tips on top destinations.
Become a member to receive exclusive benefits
Our community is the heart of Silver Travel Advisor, we love nothing more than sharing ideas, inspiration, hints and tips between us.
Exclusive holiday offers and discounts
Travel insights delivered direct to your inbox
Plus a free copy of The Silver Traveller magazine and much more!
Already a member? Sign in
Water, water everywhere… Jeannine Williamson heads for the Great Lakes
Setting sail on the world’s largest freshwater system with American Queen Voyages….
Sally Dowling discovers Iceland on a Saga Cruise
Iceland did not disappoint; it deserves its reputation for being the Island of fire and ice….
Danube Dreams with Jewish Heritage: Rivers, Roots and Remembrances
A masterclass in ‘guest service’, Avalon Waterways delivered on luxury, cuisine and comfort but with the special interest of ‘Jewish Heritage’ at its core. …
Top 5 things to do on the Pacific Coast Highway
The Pacific Coast Highway hugs the California coast for more than 650 miles. Peter Ellegard suggests some of his favourite things to do along the way 1. Get your
Facebook Instagram Twitter Youtube Linkedin
©2021 Silver Travel Advisor, All Rights Reserved. ABTA: P8411. Silver Travel Advisor is a UK registered limited company. Book with Confidence. We are a Member of ABTA which means you have the benefit of ABTA’s assistance and Code of Conduct. We provide financial protection for your money when you buy a package holiday. If you buy other travel arrangements such as accommodation only this protection doesn’t apply.
Silver Travel Advisor sells travel services on behalf of Hays Travel Limited and benefits from Hays Travel’s membership of ABTA with membership number P8411. ABTA and ABTA Members help holidaymakers to get the most from their travel and assist them when things do not go according to plan. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct.
For further information about ABTA, the Code of Conduct and the arbitration scheme available to you if you have a complaint, contact ABTA, 30 Park Street, London SE1 9EQ. Tel: 020 3117 0599 or www.abta.com”
Hays Travel Limited are registered in England and Wales with company number 1990682 and VAT number 193167195. Registered office: 25 Vine Place, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear SR1 3NA. Silver Travel Advisor is a trading name and are registered in with company number 7408308 and VAT number 100952746. Registered office: 9b Hurst Road, Milford on Sea, Lymington, Hampshire, SO41 0PY.