Mauling from inspectors empties kitchen
A Lincolnshire hotelier chasing his third AA rosette said his entire kitchen brigade had resigned after eight AA inspectors visited his restaurant and then tore their efforts to shreds four days later on the phone.
Brian Rey, owner of the Black Horse Inn at Bourne, said he had had to "jump up and beg" for an inspection in time for the year 2001 guide, after being told he had narrowly missed his third rosette last year.
He was "astounded and dumbfounded" to learn over the phone that eight inspectors had recently visited the restaurant after a team leader meeting and judged his food and menu unworthy of a third rosette, despite them winning him three RAC dining awards this year.
"Nothing we did was right: the food, the menu, anything. They tore us into tiny little shreds," complained Rey, who had closely followed AA advice in pursuit of the rosette.
Rey was dismayed at the inspectors' failure to introduce themselves on the night. "If I am doing something wrong, it would have been nice to have been told face-to-face, not over the phone when it is too late to check what they were complaining about," he said.
His six-man team, which included two from London's Oxo Tower, were so disheartened that they all resigned, although Rey persuaded three to stay.
A spokesman for the AA commented: "We are not aware of this taking place but we will launch an investigation into this allegation."