In a ruling that might just settle a spicy debate for food lovers, a Kerala consumer court has put a firm lid on the idea that restaurants must serve free gravy with dry dishes. The drama unfolded at The Persian Table restaurant in Kolenchery, where a journalist’s request for complimentary gravy alongside his beef fry and porotta was politely declined — and then escalated into a legal tussle.
Shibu S Vayalakath, the complainant, claimed emotional distress and sought ₹1 lakh in damages after the eatery stuck to its policy of no free gravy. The district consumer forum at Ernakulam, however, was unmoved. The court held that no law or contract compels a restaurant to serve gravy as a free addition, dismissing the complaint as lacking legal merit.
The verdict, penned by forum President DB Binu and members Ramachandran V and Sreevidhia TN, stressed a crucial point: service deficiency under the Consumer Protection Act arises only if there’s a shortfall in quality, quantity, or safety of the product or service provided. Since the restaurant neither promised gravy nor charged for it, denying gravy simply doesn’t qualify as deficient service.
The inquiry found that the restaurant’s menu and billing made no mention of gravy as part of the meal. A joint probe by local food safety and supply officers backed this up, confirming the restaurant’s policy clearly excludes gravy as a complimentary item.
Rejecting claims of restrictive trade practices or food safety violations, the forum clarified that what was ordered was served in full — minus gravy, which the establishment never promised. Thus, the court dismissed the claim for compensation, effectively stating that free gravy is not a consumer right.
In short, if you want that extra ladle of gravy with your porotta beef fry, you’d better be ready to pay for it — because the law won’t make the restaurant serve it for free.
