11/02/2010 - Michelin restaurant staff walk out
The head chef at a newly Michelin-starred restaurant in Oxfordshire has walked out in a row over changes to the menu.
Ryan Simpson was "overwhelmed" when The Goose in Britwell Salome was handed the prestigious accolade.
Just weeks after securing its position as one of the UK's top restaurants, the owner said he wanted the restaurant to serve up burger and chips instead of a signature dish, scallops with veal sweetbreads.
Mr Simpson, 27, said it "does not make sense" to rework the restaurant's menu. The chef and four other employees at the countryside restaurant staged a walk-out last weekend, forcing the restaurant to close.
He said the Michelin star was a great achievement, adding: "But just after winning it, the owner said he wanted to change the whole concept of the restaurant.
"He wants to change it into a pub and serve burgers and chips. He mentioned the reason was that it would generate more income and we would get a higher clientele base.
"It doesn't make any sense if you've been pushing the restaurant in one direction."
Mr Simpson, who called his customers personally to explain his decision to walk out, said he hopes to relocate The Goose, under a different name, to new premises.
Copyright © Press Association 2010
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