Oh dear.If only Richard Branson had some top Indian recipes!

It seems that billionaire boss of the Virgin label, Richard Branson, has bitten off more than he could chew, with a widely-circulated complaint letter addressed to the noted English industrialist now being dubbed the "best complaint letter of all times." Available to read online, this letter has overnight become a worldwide point of interest, not only because of the way it was written, but the surprising manner with which the complaint was dealt.

Branson, contrary to all expectations, personally responded and then actually hired the disgruntled Virgin Atlantic Airways Mumbai to Heathrow passenger, Oliver Beale, to visit the airline's catering house to help select the food for future flights on the Mumbai to Heathrow route, as well as other Virgin Atlantic services.

A brief excerpt of the "best complaint letter ever"

"I imagine the same questions are racing through your brilliant mind as were racing through mine on that fateful day. What is this? Why have I been given it? What have I done to deserve this? And, which one is the starter, which one is the dessert?

You don't get to a position like yours Richard with anything less than a generous sprinkling of observational power so I KNOW you will have spotted the tomato next to the two yellow shafts of sponge on the left. Yes, it's next to the sponge shaft without the green paste. That's got to be the clue hasn't it. No sane person would serve a desert with a tomato would they? Well answer me this Richard, what sort of animal would serve a desert with peas in?

I know it looks like a bajji but it's in custard Richard, custard. It must be the pudding. Well you'll be fascinated to hear that it wasn't custard. It was a sour gel with a clear oil on top. Its only redeeming feature was that it managed to be so alien to my palette that it took away the taste of the curry emanating from our miscellaneous central cuboid of beige matter. Perhaps the meal on the left might be the desert after all."

Virgin Atlantic denies claims that this was in fact a publicity stunt, but wouldn't this sort of bad publicity just hamper their efforts for attaining a quality brand status?

Who knows what Beale will pick out for the next menu but let's hope after this experience it will be some top quality Indian cooking or a British favourite like a Three Bird Roast. Perhaps expecting caviar would be going a little too far, but who knows to what extreme Virgin Atlantic will be willing to go after this blooper!