It has crept in slyly via the Italian restaurant and now is more prevelant than ever.
It is unnecessary, aggrivating, patronising and an insult to chefs.
Why is it now thought essential that, as soon as one’s meal is put in front of one, but before one is permitted to taste it, the waiter is at your shoulder, an immense two handed pepper grinder at hand saying
“Would Sir like some black pepper ?”

When we opened Dwyers Restaurant in 1989 we bought 12 acrylic, black pepper grinders in (what was then ) Quinnsworth for less than a punt each.
When we closed the restaurant fifteen years later these were still intact.
They had been placed on each table every night, full of black peppercorns and my, mainly adult clients, were permitted to have free use of this dangerous machine all on their own.
Quite frequently customers would taste their dishes before deciding whether or not the chef had seasoned them to their taste (which he had of course carefully done to his before they were served)

Quite recently when confronted by the monster grinder my wife had suggested to the waitress that she would like to taste her dinner first so, would she leave the grinder on our table.
The waitress recoiled in horror and fear;
“But we only have one!” she said.

I rest my case.