The Techy: Bristol

I recently visited a local chip shop called Fish N Fry located at 87 St Marks Rd, Easton, Bristol BS5 6HX. I want to share my experience. What started as a simple meal turned into online harassment.

The Wait Time

Google Maps shows I spent 40 minutes at the store. I spent about 10 minutes eating. That means I waited 30 minutes for my food. I looked up typical wait times for fish and chips. Usually, a wait is around 5 to 15 minutes. I want to be completely honest in my review. The store was very busy. Peak times do cause longer waits at any restaurant. Still, a 30-minute wait is excessive.

My Initial Review

I left a 3-star review on Google. I praised the fresh food and vegan options. I also mentioned the long wait and the cramped space. I even noted that a Deliveroo driver was complaining about the delay.

The Backlash and The Accusations

Soon after, the business messaged me on Instagram. They asked me for a better rating. They brought up the complimentary chips they gave me.

I increased my rating to four stars. I also updated my review to mention the free chips. They did not like this. The owner replied to my review publicly. They claimed my edits raised concerns about my intent. They said my review was invalid and dishonest. They then blocked my Instagram account.

After reading this, I reduced my rating back down to three stars. I then received another direct message from a personal Instagram account. This person demanded that I stop editing my review and threatened to report me for false allegations. The profile picture and name in the message strongly indicate this is Aftab. The restaurant's website confirms Aftab is the owner of Fish N Fry.

Via https://www.fishnfry.co.uk/

The Harassment Campaign

I posted about this strange behavior on Reddit and Facebook. Shortly after, the harassment started. An Instagram account named "sunariaz.xo" sent me angry messages. They called me a loser and told me to get a life.

They went to my personal photos to leave nasty comments. They body-shamed me and told me to eat a salad.

This account pretended to be from another restaurant called Mayflower. I contacted Mayflower directly. The owner confirmed they had no connection to this person. Mayflower even posted a public warning about the impersonation.

The True Identity

People on Facebook quickly identified the harasser. They pointed out she is the daughter of the Fish N Fry owner.

Her previous Instagram posts also show her directly promoting the shop.

via https://www.instagram.com/p/DPe-8raiuoz/

She has since changed her username to "sunaray.xo".

Proof:

The Final Straw

The store owner then took things a step further. Another customer left a negative review. The owner replied and accused that person of working with me. He used my full name in his public reply. This was a calculated effort to smear my name.

From: https://share.google/vq9ghQgnA2Va8DaYU

I cannot recommend this business. A 30-minute wait is bad enough. The sustained public harassment is unacceptable. Businesses should accept fair criticism. They should not attack their customers.