I asked members of the public in Cardiff the following question: Why do you think there aren’t many Michelin Star restaurants in Wales?
Ty Walker, 20, shop assistant, Brecon
“I think Cardiff is a student city so I think that they might see it as theres no need or no audience. They can’t really afford Michelin star food.”
Brin Davis, 76, retired, Cardiff
“I’m surprised there’s only three, I thought there would have been three in Cardiff alone. I much prefer fine dining. There just can’t be the demand for it, maybe people don’t want to pay for it.”
Jose Gomez, 25, assistant producer, London
“I think it mainly has to do with the price. People aren’t prepared to spend 150 quid on a meal.”
Sarah Tol, 22, shop assistant, Cardiff
“I think it would be nice to have one but I don’t think there’s the market for it round here.”
Hannah Williams, 24, golf club assistant manager, Porthcawl
“There’s a lack of good culinary schools where chefs can train. Our old chef trained at a Michelin star restaurant in France and now works in London.”
Luke Stiff, 32, receptionist, Cardiff
“To be honest with you, it’s probably the culture. They stick to what they know sells around here. Like Jamie’s Italian.”
With the closure of The Crown earlier this year, Wales has just three Michelin starred restaurants.
September saw the publication of the latest Michelin Guide but only three Welsh eateries made it into the 2014 edition. The Walnut Tree, Tyddyn Llan and The Checkers all managed to retain their coveted stars.
Bryan Webb, chef and owner of Tyddyn Llan, suggested that the lack of establishments with prestigious stars is due to the steep wage bill. He said, “to employ a chef of Michelin star standard, you are looking at a minimum wage of £50,000.”
This isn’t the only cost attached to creating dishes that are worthy of a star, as a full time kitchen brigade, made up of six or seven staff, is also needed.
I asked members of the public in Cardiff the following question: Why do you think there aren’t many Michelin Star restaurants in Wales?
Ty Walker, 20, shop assistant, Brecon
“I think Cardiff is a student city so I think that they might see it as theres no need or no audience. They can’t really afford Michelin star food.”
Brin Davis, 76, retired, Cardiff
“I’m surprised there’s only three, I thought there would have been three in Cardiff alone. I much prefer fine dining. There just can’t be the demand for it, maybe people don’t want to pay for it.”
Jose Gomez, 25, assistant producer, London
“I think it mainly has to do with the price. People aren’t prepared to spend 150 quid on a meal.”
Sarah Tol, 22, shop assistant, Cardiff
“I think it would be nice to have one but I don’t think there’s the market for it round here.”
Hannah Williams, 24, golf club assistant manager, Porthcawl
“There’s a lack of good culinary schools where chefs can train. Our old chef trained at a Michelin star restaurant in France and now works in London.”
Luke Stiff, 32, receptionist, Cardiff
“To be honest with you, it’s probably the culture. They stick to what they know sells around here. Like Jamie’s Italian.”