Lord Of The Rings star Sir Ian McKellen’s pub has been rapped – for un-elfy practices.
Its five-star hygiene rating’s Aragorn down by two stars – for having out-of-date grub and a fridge with temperatures as high as 16C.
National treasure Sir Ian – whose wizard film character Gandalf’s famous quote is, ironically, “You shall not pass!” – part-owns the 500-year-old Grade II-listed The Grapes in Limehouse, east London.
A spot check by Tower Hamlets council inspectors on October 5 last year found a series of problems at the popular pub restaurant.
Their report said “a lot” of food in one fridge had expired, including noodles that were 19 days out of date, chicken curry and salmon, both 12 days out, and spiced tomatoes, 10 days over the use-by limit. A second fridge was found to be at least 11C over the recommended temperature. The officials binned all its food during the visit, recommending new seals to be fitted on the door and a temperature probe.
Kitchen cleanliness wasn’t so wizard either – there was no antibacterial soap and a shelf used to store chopping boards was dirty.
Sir Ian, 83, has owned The Grapes on the banks of the River Thames with former partner and film director Sean Mathias and businessman Evgeny Lebedev since 2011. The trio are all directors of a company called Pies Pub Ltd. The inspection led to The Grapes’ rating being lowered from the maximum five stars to three.
It has the chance to regain the two lost at another inspection in March. A Tower Hamlets Council spokesperson said: “We carry out regular checks on all food premises in the borough.
“We must ensure that the public is protected and that high standards are maintained. Businesses are not pre-warned about impending spot checks.”
The report on The Grapes advised: “You must check fridges daily and any out of date food must be discarded.” It recommended fridge seals and a temperature probe should be installed within a week.
Stage legend Sir Ian – twice nominated for an Oscar – is best known for his role as Gandalf – battling evil wizard Sauron and his army of Orcs in the six hit Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films made from 2001 to 2014, based on the novels by J.R.R. Tolkien. His film character’s staff is displayed in the pub.
Tower Hamlets Council confirmed it had been rated five-star before October 2022.
It said: “Our Food Safety Team is responsible for the inspection of over 2,500 businesses in the borough. They are not warned about spot checks.”
Sir Ian McKellen and The Pies Pub Co have been approached for comment.
