Gourmet Dining Takes a Humorous Turn: Michelin Stars Meet Hygiene One-Star Rating
In the land of sheep and stunning landscapes, one two-Michelin-star eatery has been sent back to culinary school after receiving a hygiene rating that could loosely be described as “not exactly five-star.” This beautiful establishment, Ynyshir Restaurant, tucked away near Machynlleth in Powys, Wales, racked up a stellar hygiene score of one out of five, which means the inspectors had major reasons to clutch their noses and dash for the door.
A constellation of concerns flagged by our beloved hygiene inspectors includes dead flies, broken equipment, and—oh yes—an alarming lack of adequate handwashing facilities. However, it’s not just any restaurant; it comes with a price tag of nearly £500 per head for a 30-course tasting menu. At this point, one might wonder if their “sky-high” reputation just took a “down-to-earth” plunge.
The 30-course tasting menu has wowed the likes of high-profile chefs, but even they might raise an eyebrow at the inspectors’ findings: broken equipment that could almost double as a breeding ground for various strains of bacteria, and a knife “savoring” its last moments as it was deemed unfit for any culinary masterpiece.
Picture, if you will, a sticky strip in the prep area, festooned with “an accumulation of dead flies”—an ensemble the inspectors noted posed a “significant food safety risk.” Talk about a fly on the wall! The inspectors were gracious enough to suggest they “cease serving raw lobster immediately,” probably because microbiological hazards haven’t quite reached their gourmet level of sophistication.
Inspectors had quite a bit to say about their riveting encounter at the restaurant. When they requested to see the menu, they were greeted with what can best be described as a “digital mirage” at the end of the ordeal—like ordering a five-star meal and getting a side of confusion. A note about providing misinformation to an inspector was left dangling like a poorly cooked soufflé—an invitation to a legal tango!
In a fabulous twist, Chef Gareth Ward, the self-proclaimed king of culinary finesse, sprang into action to defend his beloved restaurant. After the report’s release, he offered a grand tour of his “pristine” kitchen via Instagram, complete with a new fly zapper and a sink in his dry store—as if cleanliness could somehow unravel the haunting specter of dead flies.
With all this drama swirling around, the local council remained unfazed, declaring that 90% of inspected establishments in the area achieved a food hygiene rating of 3-5 out of 5. They tossed in a casual reminder that inspections align with national standards, essentially saying, “What’s the fuss? We’re just following the rules! No comment!”
As for Ward, he’s not letting this hygiene hiccup rain on his gourmet parade. Declaring, “I’m not at all ashamed but disappointed,” he noted the real villains are the paperwork issues—it’s the food equivalent of blaming the printer for cooking errors. With a flair for the dramatic, one must wonder if his next course will be served with a side of irony, garnished with dead flies.
