A chef who had collapsed in his Welsh hotel kitchen after his pacemaker battery was affected was determined to achieve his dream of a Michelin star, despite the advice of The Hotel Inspector. In the latest episode of the Channel 5 show, presenter and hotelier Alex Polizzi visited Caer Beris Manor in Builth Wells, run by former real estate agent Omar, his wife Kim, and her parents.
On top of running the 22 bedroom hotel, Omar and Kim said they were hoping for a baby while parents Angie and Steve were hoping to retire - but the manor was running on a skeleton staff of 10 employees. With overheads of £70,000 to hit each month, Alex said that the workload had them "run ragged."
Omar said he "can't sleep in the night." So, the family reached out to Alex for help. But while initially entering the hotel feeling 'optimistic' Alex wasn't too sure about the decor, calling it "Such a trip" - and her concerns grew when hearing about Omar's health.
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Self-taught cook Omar said he was dreaming of having a Michelin star - but with prices rising to £32 for the "perfectly cooked" filet steak Alex sampled, she was concerned about food prices. An added concern came with Omar's health condition, saying that he collapsed after his pacemaker battery went down in the kitchen last year.
"I went to the hospital and my doctor was saying 'You can't be in the kitchen because all the commercial ovens and stuff like that affected the battery life of your pacemaker'," he explained to Alex. "But I have to, I have to survive, I have to do it."
Alex said she was worried that Omar's pacemaker could fail at any moment if he continued his work in the kitchen. "Between Omar's heart condition and the retirement plans and the hopes for a baby - really?" Alex said.
"I don't think I've ever felt it to be quite so challenging," she added. To survive the summer on a skeleton staff, Alex suggested restricting bookings and simplifying the menu, as well as reducing the cost of food and raising the rates of accommodation. As part of this, she also suggested Omar leave his dream of achieving a Michelin star.
But after returning seven weeks later, Kim announced that they had found a new head chef and were going to "completely change the business" and "chop it down" to 14 bedrooms. She said they were still planning to get a Michelin star, despite Alex suggesting they abandon their ambitions for a while - making her "very cross."
And, despite the family hiring a new head chef, Alex wasn't too impressed: "I don't know how he [the chef] knows what it takes, darling, because I've looked at his CV and what he has done is exactly four f*****g weeks in Michelin starred restaurants. That does not a Michelin chef make."
After telling Omar she was "really f*****g cross", Alex continued: "I thought the idea was to try and work less, I thought the idea was the try and get you out the kitchen." However, Omar was determined to chase his dream of a Michelin star. To help, Alex called in Barney Cunliffe, who has achieved a Michelin star at 32-bedroom Lake District hotel, The Gilpin.
After looking at the hotel's accounts with Barney's help, the family opted to tone down their ambitions and take their time transitioning to fine dining. Leaving the family, Alex advised: "I think what you have to do really consciously now is every decision you make, don't leap feet first, really analyse because I think that way you will get to the right decision."
Kim said that Alec's help had been "invaluable," while Omar said that Alex was "top of [his] list" for people he wanted to invite to the restaurant once he had achieved his dream of a Michelin star.
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