A couple of weeks ago I received an email from a guy who was building up a tour company here and had decided to call it Azahar Tours… then he saw I was already using this name and had been, well forever, and he asked if it would bother me if he also used it, even though his tours weren’t food related. I told him that I really appreciated him asking and that, yes, the azahar brand has been associated with me since 2005 and so to avoid any confusion it might be better if he chose another name that was all his own. And he did. Respect.

But not this wanker. The Sevilla Tapas brand has also been recognised as mine since 2009 (2007 if you count when the food blog started) and basically, Sevilla Tapas Tours (as generic as it may sound) has been my food tour name, again, since forever, because… I got there first. But what I didn’t do was pay for every possible website domain that might sound like me. In fact, since I barely knew what I was doing back in 2007 my main domain is a bit messy. But whatever. People still find me because I’ve been online for almost 20 years and I have a respected reputation. One that I think I have earned.

Then this wanker comes along, some guy here who started doing food tours, and in fact mostly seems to be doing my tours (as so many of the copycat food tour companies do these days) but then touts himself to be THE authentic food tour experience in Sevilla. Whatever. It only began to irk when he started calling himself Seville Tapas Tour all over social media, cos like, that’s me. Then today I saw this sponsored ad on instagram calling himself the REAL Seville Tapas Tour… wtf.

Don’t get me wrong. This guy makes no difference to me in terms of work. I always have more tour requests than I can handle (hence, my angels). What irks is that he knows he is using my well-known brand name. I guess because he is hoping people will confuse him with me? That this might drive some business his way? How pathetic is that? Because he does know who I am. We see each other in the street (he ignores me) and I mean come on. I just don’t get it. And I am certainly not flattered.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness. – Oscar Wilde