Winner receives public banning

LONDON restaurateur Antony Worrall Thompson last week joined the ranks of those banning film director Michael Winner from their premises, taking the campaign on to the small screen to drum up support.

Mr Worrall Thompson banned the director-turned-foodwriter from establishments including dell'Ugo, Zoe and 190 Queen's Gate, following Mr Winner's vitriolic writings about other restaurants in the Sunday Times.

A poster (pictured below) is to be displayed at the restaurants, offering customers a free bottle of Champagne if they see Mr Winner in the vicinity and alert staff.

Mr Worrall Thompson also appeared on television in the London area to complain about Mr Winner. Last weekend he was interviewed on LWT's late-night show Richard Littlejohn Live and Uncut, and next Sunday will appear on The Restaurant Show, also on LWT.

Mr Worrall Thompson told Caterer he had not suffered personally at the pen of Mr Winner, but had been angered by scathing criticisms of various restaurants, which he believed were unduly severe.

"Nobody minds him having subjective views, but all we ask for is a degree of honesty," said Mr Worrall Thompson.

Mr Winner's writings in the Sunday Times have been the source of mounting anger among restaurateurs since last year. Ironically, Mr Worrall Thompson writes for the same newspaper, but in a letter to the paper a fortnight ago, he took exception to recent reviews by Mr Winner of the London restaurant Kartouche, and the Waterside Inn at Bray in Berkshire.

He joins Lord Bradford, owner of London's Porters restaurant, who last year declared his establishment a "Winner-free zone" (Caterer, 30 September 1993), offering other restaurateurs a sticker banning the writer from their premises.

Mr Worrall Thompson said his posters would be available to owners of other establishments. Those interested should write to Louisa Alves at 56 Frith Street, London W1.