The chef behind Wales’ only two-Michelin-star restaurant has said he is “not embarrassed” after it was awarded a one-star hygiene rating.
Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms, near Machynlleth in Ceredigion, which charges nearly £500 per head, received the rating after a visit by food safety officers on 5 November.
According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), a score of one out of five means “major improvement” is necessary.
But chef patron Gareth Ward, a contestant on MasterChef The Professionals, said the restaurant was working “at the highest standard in the world” and doing “something different” with how it approaches raw ingredients and techniques.
Ynyshir offers a high-end dining experience starting at £468 per person, including a 30-course tasting menu and an in-house DJ.
It remains Wales’ only restaurant with two Michelin stars after it was given the prestigious award in 2022.
The Michelin Guide describes it as “a truly unique experience”, adding: “The evening starts early, which gives chef-owner Gareth Ward five hours to take diners on a playful culinary journey around the globe.
“He has a particular reverence for Japanese cuisine, with sashimi and A5 Wagyu beef likely to appear on the surprise menu of around 30 vibrant servings, all using outstanding produce prepared with superb craft.”
Following the inspection, the FSA said the restaurant’s management of food safety required “major improvement”, while the cleanliness and condition of facilities and the building also needed improvement.
‘Hygienic food handling’ was rated “generally satisfactory”.
Ward told the one of things inspectors had questioned was the restaurant’s use of raw ingredients.
“We buy in the best ingredients from around the world and a lot of it I serve raw,” he said.
“I’m buying sashimi-grade fish from Japan and they’re questioning, ‘well, we don’t know the water, so how do we know it’s sashimi grade?’
“Well, it is sashimi grade, this stuff’s eaten raw all over the world and, just because our rules don’t fit their rules, they’re questioning it.”
He said some of his aged ingredients had also been scrutinised, adding: “I’ve got a salt chamber for ageing fish but they obviously don’t like the idea of ageing stuff.”
Despite the rating, the chef said he remained confident.
“I’m not embarrassed by it, I’m not upset by it,” Ward said. “The people in life that push the hardest and think outside the box and do something different will always have to deal with this kind of stuff.
“My standards never drop below 100%.
“I’m not at all ashamed but I am disappointed. I’m not sat here thinking ‘oh my god, I’m embarrassed, I’ve done something wrong’, because we haven’t. What we have done is something different.”
Ceredigion council said it stood by the “professional judgement of its staff in applying UK food hygiene standards” and would not be commenting further.
How do food hygiene ratings work?
The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) is operated in partnership between the Food Safety Agency and local authorities.
A new food hygiene rating is given to businesses where food is supplied, stored or consumed every time it is inspected by a food safety officer from its local authority.
Establishments are rated from zero to five, with five representing “very good” and a rating of one meaning “major improvement is necessary”.
Ratings are described as a “snapshot” of the hygiene standards found at the time of the inspection, which looks at factors like how food is stored, handled and prepared, as well as the cleanliness of facilities.
It also judges how food safety is managed more widely including a business’s training, processes and systems.
‘Highest standard in the world’
Since the inspection, Ward said he had invested heavily in equipment and laboratory testing to ensure food safety, including a £50,000 freezer which reached temperatures of -80C (-112F).
Since the FSA report was published, he said he sent the restaurant’s fish away for laboratory testing and that it had “all come back absolutely clear”.
However, he said inspectors were “not 100% wrong”, adding that an additional hand washing sink had now been installed in the fish preparation area.
Ward said paperwork problems had also contributed to the low score.
“Some of our paperwork wasn’t right, and that’s our fault,” he said.
“Sometimes you miss stuff or sometimes you write stuff down wrong or forget stuff. I’d need a full-time office worker doing the paperwork to get it perfect every time.”
The chef said Ynyshir also employed the services of a specialist company which made sure the restaurant was complying with required food standards.
He said the issues raised had been dealt with “immediately” and that a reinspection had been requested but a date has not yet been set.
Ward said: “My restaurant is working at the highest standard in the world and we take what we do very seriously.
“I’ve got 27 years of experience in what I do. The kitchen is open, everyone can see everything, the place is immaculate.”
