Chef attacks kitchen worker after critic calls food 'disgusting'

A chef at a restaurant in Wales admitted he shoved a kitchen worker down the stairs after a critic called the food they had served "disgusting."

Charlie McCubbin, 51, is the owner-chef of The River Cafe in Glasbury-on-Wye, which was visited by Sunday Times critic AA Gill. Bruce Gray, defending, told the court that at the end of his meal Gill was asked whether he enjoyed it. "Iin his rather flippant manner, his response was: 'Disgusting'," the BBC quoted Gray as saying. "I say this to give you some idea of the stress of working in an environment where reputation is everything. Mr McCubbin feels he has to check and double check everything. "The incident that led to this was that a cellar door had been left unsecured all that night and that was the straw that broke the camel's back." McCubbin took a swing at 52-year-old kitchen worker Keith McVaigh, but missed. He then pushed him down three steps. The chef blamed working long hours during the Hay Festival for his behaviour but prosecutor Helen Tench said he appeared intoxicated on the night of the incident. "He kept going in and out of the kitchen and said to Mr McVaigh, 'When you've finished that you can f*** off and not come back," The Telegraph quoted her as saying. "McCubbin then took a swing at Mr McVaigh, which did not connect, before pushing him down three steps. McCubbin then walked over to another man and said, 'If you want to start I'll knock you're f****** head off. I will take you all on.'" The Independent reported that after the hearing, McCubbin said: "I've been compared to Ramsay but, to be honest, sometimes I make him look tame. Keith is a mate of mine. I've apologised and there are no hard feelings." The court heard McVaigh had made a statement saying he no longer wished to see McCubbin prosecuted. McCubbin admitted to assault and causing harassment, alarm or distress and was given an 18-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £85 in costs. In his review, Gill gave the restaurant a four out of five rating. The Daily Mail reported that he described his food as "fresh and bright" and "exceedingly good", and said the service was "utterly, embarrassingly, bucolically charming if a teensiest bit forgetful and slow".