THE MINISTER FOR TOURISM PRESIDES OVER THE AWARD CEREMONY, ORGANISED BY ?THE DEFINITIVE (LY) GOOD GUIDE TO RESTAURANTS IN MALTA AND GOZO?

The Minister for Tourism, Dr. Michael Refalo, presided over the launch of ‘The Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants in Malta and Gozo' and handed out the prizes to owners and operators of successful restaurants at the guide's first award ceremony.

After congratulating winning restaurateurs and commending Lisa Grech and Colin West, the guide's editors and publishers, for a "job brilliantly done", the Minister said that good food and dining "enhance the quality of life and the quality of a holiday experience offered by a destination."

"This being the 13^th "unlucky for some" should mean that during 2001 the management and staff of non-award winning restaurants must look after their clients better to merit inclusion being among the prize winners next year. This year's winners are here because they deserve their patrons' accolades not because Lady Luck has smiled on them. This is their clients' way of saying "thank you," and, "well done".

The Minister added that the guide itself is practical, simple, well presented and made an intriguing, and once started, a compelling interesting read. "It is also what it claims to be, unbiased and factual, and I would add, a valuable vade mecum for those who take their dining out seriously, for the romantic and for the casual diner."

After dwelling briefly on the Malta Tourism Authority's thrust to bring out and promote all that was positively different and unique about the Maltese Islands, as well as MTA's focus on gastronomy as a specific selling point of the Malta product, the Minister said that the most reliable guides were those which reflected diners' experiences and that "Definitive(ly)'s" sole dependence on consumer tastes and views made it extremely credible.

That the guide has been compiled with the active collaboration of 600 regular eaters-out means that the industry now avails itself of 600 unofficial, but knowledgeable, "inspectors" to complement their official counterparts.

"In a small community like ours known personalities, good and regular clients are quite often accorded more attention and given better service. It is however essential for a restaurant's success and repeat business, that that little bit extra is accorded to all patrons not just to regulars."

The Minister reminisced that some years ago, following the publication of another good food guide, its author had been threatened with all manner of bodily harm and actions for damages by restaurants owners who were upset with the author's assessment of their establishment.

"Although threats never materialised into action," the Minister joked, "a similar reaction by owners and operators whose reputations have not been exactly flattered by their own customers' experiences and contributions to this Guide could translate into threats of mass extermination being levelled at one's own clientele! Did anyone mention mercy killing?"

Dr. Refalo said that he believed that the Guide would encourage owners and operators of restaurants to improve and maintain standards. Restaurants will be constantly under the microscope of the eyes and palate of survey respondents throughout the year. This, said the Minister, would also breed a culture of greater attention to client and detail, aspects at times found lacking even in the more successful establishments.