Influencers Asked This Chef For Free Food In Exchange For Promotion And He Called Them Out

Brian Campbell is the owner of Miann Dessert Restaurant, Patisserie, and Chocolate factory situated in Auckland, New Zealand. The pastry chef, who’s a Scottish born have his premises completely shut down as a result of the ongoing pandemic.

Just last week, the CEO watched as Jacinda Ardern, the New Zealand Prime Minister announced that the country’s alert level would be reduced to three, permitting businesses to reopen their locations.

Campbell got relieved about being able to start takeaway and online orders for his business. He updated his website and interestingly got a message from an Influencer requesting for free food in exchange for promotion.

‘In just 10minutes, I got messages from influencers urging we send in free stuff so they could share on their profile. I was angry and entirely a piss-take.’ Campbell explained.

On that same day, the CEO recalls getting about 5 to 6 requests from influencers for free food. He replied to each of the influencers’ requests while also taking to Instagram to address them accordingly. He shared an image of his restaurant’s Instagram profile and captioned it: ‘Dear Influencer.’

‘Please stop for a moment and think. Have you thought of restauranters and food producers who have no income and perhaps a 50% drop in revenue for the next coming months? Stop and think about the people whom you are asking for free stuff from.’

‘It’s high time you bring value to your local business and ensure you order from your favorites places. Pay for it, post it freely, and feel good about it. You just assisted a small business.’ Campbell wrote.

Admitting he has no hard feelings towards influencers, Campbell added: ‘I think a lot of people don’t seem to understand what’s going on. Having businesses to having zero business is quite a challenging one. We’re assisting families while also trying to keep our staff employed.’

However, Campbell garnered positive feedback on the post, with customers reaching a decision to order from him. Accordingly, some people commented on the post in agreement, with one saying: ‘I dislike it when people request for free food.’