Wednesday 28 June 2023

Not Heeding The Warning Signs...

Donna Southby, who was dining with her husband, Mark, and friends at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant on the edge of Snowdonia or Eryri national park, claims she was subject to a tirade of “verbal abuse” from the head chef, Gareth Ward, a feted cook from County Durham known for his uncompromising approach and 30-course menus.

Hmmm, 'uncompromising approach', eh? Were there any other clues that it might not be a pleasant experience..? 

£375-a-head menus at Ynyshir – which describes itself as “ingredient led, flavour driven, fat fuelled, protein obsessed” – consist of a parade of mostly meat and fish courses, from wagyu beef to black cod and caviar. With a DJ “curating” music that cranks up as the night proceeds to a level that one reviewer compared to a “Rotterdam techno dungeon” and atmospheric effects such as birch smoke, dinner takes up to five hours. A couple’s bill can easily pass £1,000 with wine. The restaurant warns: “we do not cater for any dietary requirements and do not offer substitutions for any of the dishes”.

I'm sure the food is good, but Reader, nothing is so good I'd want to put up with that... 

In 2018, Ward told Restaurant magazine: “People say you should cook for your customers. I say fuck that. You should cook for yourself.”

Then why the hell are you running a restaurant?  

5 comments:

Umbongo said...

Who knows what really happened? However, the chef is known for his . . er . . uncompromising attitude to his cuisine and that meals at his restaurant are long and heavy in meat protein. Also the accompanying "music" is famously loud and intrusive. Yes, in principle, "the customer is always right" but you don't insist on a 20-course tasting menu at Macdonalds or a quiet steak and chips plus a £10 bottle of red at Ynyshir

Anonymous said...

Doesn't it simply mean that they aren't interested in mentally-defective aggressive vegan, vegetarian, LBTQ-etc, animal-'rights' bullshitters?

Just how many customers do you need at £1k pp, anyway, to make a good living? Just ask car dealers selling Rolls, Bentley, Ferrari etc how many they sell per day compared to Fiat, Nissan etc.

The wine sounds nice.

said...

Some people have too much money and social ambitions but their taste is in their arse.

Anonymous said...

I think it's a marketing stunt for that film from last year:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9764362/

:D

JuliaM said...

"Yes, in principle, "the customer is always right" but you don't insist on a 20-course tasting menu at Macdonalds or a quiet steak and chips plus a £10 bottle of red at Ynyshir"

Oh, indeed, they really should have known what they were getting into. You wouldn't catch me in any kind of restaurant with that reputation.

"Just how many customers do you need at £1k pp, anyway, to make a good living?"

It's astounding they can find them, isn't it? In London, maybe, but Wales?!?

"Some people have too much money and social ambitions but their taste is in their arse."

See also: Charlie Mullins' taste in vehicles!

"I think it's a marketing stunt for that film from last year:"

😂