Seven months ago, Heston Blumenthal’s Michelin-starred Fat Duck restaurant was forced to close after around 500 people became ill after eating there.
There were all sorts of theories for the food poisoning, including everything from a jealous rival to contaminated mushy peas. However, after a seven month investigation, environmental health experts believe they have found the culprit.
In total, 529 diners became ill last January and February and the restaurant was force to close for two weeks. The Fat Duck was voted the world’s best place to eat in 2005 and is still number two in the world behind El Bulli in Spain.
The culprits appear to be shellfish contaminated with raw human sewage leading to a norovirus outbreak. Diners were happily paying £130 a time to eat raw oysters covered in residual human waste matter.
The investigation found that contaminated oysters were served raw and razor clams may not have been appropriately handled or cooked.The sickness spread due to continuous contamination of foods in the restaurant or by person-to-person spread between staff and diners.