A prestigious Welsh restaurant with two Michelin stars has been handed a one-star hygiene rating, despite boasting about "the highest standards in the world". Ynyshir, located near Machynlleth on the southern edge of Eryri national park, is renowned for its exceptional cuisine and rooms. The restaurant, which opened in 2013 and gained its first Michelin star a year later, became the first site in Wales to win two stars in 2022.
However, Food Standards Agency inspectors paid a visit last November and awarded Ynyshir a score of one out of five, indicating "major improvement" is necessary. Chef patron Gareth Ward attributes the poor rating to concerns over the use of raw and aged ingredients. He points to his practice of buying sashimi-grade fish from Japan as an example, noting that inspectors questioned the validity of such practices due to differences in regulations.
Ward maintains that Ynyshir employs a specialist compliance company to address food safety issues and has invested in a £50,000 freezer capable of reaching temperatures of -80C (-112F). After the inspection, his restaurant's fish was sent for independent laboratory testing, which revealed no concerns. Nevertheless, Ward acknowledges that inspectors were "not 100% wrong" and has taken steps to address paperwork problems, including installing an additional hand-washing station in the fish preparation area.
The poor hygiene rating comes as a surprise to many given Ynyshir's glowing reputation. The restaurant's prices start at £468 per person, making it a significant investment for diners. A spokesperson for Ynyshir has announced that the business will request a reinspection but no date has been set.
However, Food Standards Agency inspectors paid a visit last November and awarded Ynyshir a score of one out of five, indicating "major improvement" is necessary. Chef patron Gareth Ward attributes the poor rating to concerns over the use of raw and aged ingredients. He points to his practice of buying sashimi-grade fish from Japan as an example, noting that inspectors questioned the validity of such practices due to differences in regulations.
Ward maintains that Ynyshir employs a specialist compliance company to address food safety issues and has invested in a £50,000 freezer capable of reaching temperatures of -80C (-112F). After the inspection, his restaurant's fish was sent for independent laboratory testing, which revealed no concerns. Nevertheless, Ward acknowledges that inspectors were "not 100% wrong" and has taken steps to address paperwork problems, including installing an additional hand-washing station in the fish preparation area.
The poor hygiene rating comes as a surprise to many given Ynyshir's glowing reputation. The restaurant's prices start at £468 per person, making it a significant investment for diners. A spokesperson for Ynyshir has announced that the business will request a reinspection but no date has been set.
They got hit w/ a 1 star hygiene rating 
out of like 5 stars!! I mean, i know the food's always been amazin but i never thought they'd get caught out on food safety 
. The chef patron is all like 'its not a big deal' but lets be real, its a major improvement u need 
! Raw & aged ingredients? Who doz tht? 
Not the inspectors, thats fer sure 
. And £468 per head is like, insane price w/ that kinda risk involved 
. I mean, i guess they're gonna try again but u gotta wonder if its all worth it 
especially when u think about all the times i saw those beautiful fish pics on instagram and thought "wow thats how it's done" 
what if someone got sick????? i dont know how u can be so clueless and have two michelin stars at the same time 
. £50k freezer and all that sounds like some serious investment 
so fingers crossed they get a reinspection soon and this whole thing blows over 
by this news! I've heard great things about Ynyshir's food and service, and to think they have some serious issues with hygiene is really disappointing 
!
just heard about ynyshir gettin' a one-star hygiene rating from all these years of boastin' about bein' the best... i mean, you can't fool everyone forever 
.
. i hope ynyshir gets a reinspection soon and proves they can deliver on that promise 
.
. If Gareth Ward's so confident in his food safety practices, why's he being all secretive about it? And what's the deal with this £50k freezer that supposedly keeps his fish at -80C? Sounds like some fancy PR spin to me 
. I'm calling BS on this whole thing 
.
. You'd think that'd guarantee some sorta perfection, but I guess not, right? 
Gareth Ward seems like a professional and all, but even he knows that inspectors are only doin' their job.
. But if they can sort out this hygiene thing, I'll be happy to give 'em another chance 
They need to figure out how to make it work, 'cause £468 is a pretty penny. And £50k for a freezer that goes to -80C? Is that even necessary? Can they just store the stuff in their normal fridge? 
. i mean, yeah sure, inspectors can be harsh, but £468 per head is a pretty steep price to pay for "major improvement"... how about they show us the major improvements first? 
. But at the end of the day, food safety is no joke, especially when you're dealing with raw and aged ingredients. Gareth Ward's got a good point about buying sashimi-grade fish from Japan, but maybe he should've done his research more thoroughly on those regulations 
. But hey, at least Gareth Ward is taking responsibility and making changes, that's gotta count for something 
. One thing's for sure, I won't be dining there anytime soon until they prove themselves 
. I know inspections can be tough, but 2 Michelin stars is huge 
. Raw and aged ingredients might not be the issue (Gareth Ward's example sounds legit 
). The thing that really gets me is they invested £50k in a -80C freezer to keep their fish fresh 
... and still got a poor rating 
.
