MasterChef’s Matt Preston SLAMS the 2019 Australian dining trends he can’t stand – including ‘clean eating’, hashtags and places that don’t take reservations
- MasterChef judge Matt Preston has talked about the dining trends he can’t stand
- The 57-year-old, who just finished his final season on the hit show, was critical
- He slammed unique cocktails, service charges, hashtags and clean eating
- But Matt does like that the culinary world are coming together as a community
Former MasterChef Australia judge Matt Preston has slammed some of the popular dining trends of 2019, including Instagram hashtags, weekend service charges and restaurants refusing to take reservations.
The 57-year-old, who recently pulled out of hosting the cooking show alongside Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris, took issue with a number of millennial additions to the culinary world.
And while he praised the sense of community spirit he felt this year in kitchens around the country, he has some issues he hopes to see the end of in 2020.
Former MasterChef Australia judge Matt Preston (pictured) has slammed some of the popular dining trends of 2019
SERVICE CHARGES
Often restaurant owners will charge a fee for dining at certain times or on the weekend and this usually goes towards the restaurant.
But Matt would much rather leave that same amount of money as a tip to the waitstaff – particularly if they have provided excellent service.
‘I’m happy if they want to share it with other staff like the kitchen team. I just don’t want it docked by the owner,’ he told Delicious.
[Clean eating] is the ugliest phrase applied to food for what it implies. Does it mean we’ve bean eating dirty all our lives? F**k off!
But Matt would much rather leave that same amount of money as a tip to the waitstaff – particularly if they have provided excellent service
INNOVATIVE DRINKS
Matt is privy to traditional cocktails and drinks, like a standard Negroni or Gin and Tonic.
But when new flavours and ingredients are being added to the classics to give them a twist, he’s usually left less than impressed.
Instead he’d rather more time be poured into the usual ingredients, making sure the right amount of lemon and alcohol are added in.
NO RESERVATIONS
Establishments that don’t allow you to book in advance are a huge problem for Matt.
He doesn’t understand why they like to see a queue outside their restaurant or enjoy having long queues of people waiting at the bar.
While he admits it might be profitable for them in the long run it’s more than likely going to turn off precious customers with the inconvenience.
Establishments that don’t allow you to book in advance are a huge problem for Matt
HASHTAGS ON INSTAGRAM
While hashtags can make it easier to find pictures under the topic you’re looking for, adding #blessed to a photo of your ice cream won’t win you any favours.
‘It sounds ever so slightly smug,’ Matt said, suggesting he avoids hashtags and would rather come up with a witty caption.
‘The #blessed hashtag in many clean eating posts just makes matters worse.’
While hashtags can make it easier to find pictures under the topic you’re looking for, adding #blessed to a photo of your ice cream won’t win you any favours
STRONG FOCUS ON ‘BAD’ FOODS
While Matt isn’t disputing that Australia has an obesity crisis and more people should be watching what they eat, he also believes the fixation on health is a problem too.
According to a Flinders University study young women are more likely to exercise after they eat chips and chocolate than they are after eating almonds or apricots.
He told the publication that sometimes ‘bad things can be good for us’, pointing to the increased exercise after a cheat day.
While Matt isn’t disputing that Australia has an obesity crisis and more people should be watching what they eat, he also believes the fixation on health is a problem too
CLEAN EATING
Matt doesn’t like the shame associated with food that doesn’t fall into the ‘clean eating’ category.
It makes it seem as though other types of dishes are ‘dirty’ and aren’t worthwhile if you’re trying to be healthy.
‘This is the ugliest phrase applied to food for what it implies. Does it mean we’ve bean eating dirty all our lives? F**k off!’ He said.
What other issues does Matt Preston have with modern dining?
MasterChef Australia judges
1. Waitstaff addressing you mid-meal
There is nothing that annoys Matt more than an overly enthusiastic waiter looking for extra compliments or a tip.
When they come over to ‘ask how everything was’ it’s a sure-fire way to earn a scolding from the long-time chef.
2. Natural wine that doesn’t taste like grapes
With the clean eating mandate now firmly in the vocabulary of every restaurateur, wine is quickly becoming the next ‘unhealthy’ substance to be ‘modernised’.
Natural wines with ‘zero chemicals’ are supposed to taste just like any other red or white, but Matt said they fail in the taste department.
3. Foods served in bowls
Matt prefers his meal served on ‘old hygienic white china’ rather than in a bowl.
He didn’t give a clear reason for his feelings but said that now ‘slimy’ Acai bowls are ‘dead’ we should stop using them.
4. Designer restaurants
According to Matt, trendy mood-lighting and a noisy atmosphere is only appropriate if you ‘want to go with boring, ugly friends who you don’t want to see or hear’.
Otherwise, he suggests restaurants focus less on being a ‘picture in a magazine’ and more on ‘enhancing’ the night of diners.