A Tasmanian chef who grew up in the Huon Valley is at the centre of a bizarre legal battle after his acclaimed Seoul restaurant served diners ants that are not approved for human consumption in South Korea.
Joseph Lidgerwood opened the fine dining restaurant Evett in Seoul’s Gangnam district in 2018 with his Korean wife, Ginny Kim.
The restaurant earned its first Michelin star within a year of opening and was elevated to two stars earlier this year.
But South Korean prosecutors have now charged Kim, the restaurant’s representative director and CEO, over alleged food safety violations.
According to The Chosun Daily, the charge can result in up to a year in prison.
Prosecutors have also sought a fine of 20 million Korean won – around $20,000 AUD – for the company that operates the restaurant.
A spokesperson for the restaurant told Pulse that the proceedings concern Restaurant Evett and its owner.
“Our chef is not a defendant in this matter,” the spokesperson said.
The case centres on a sorbet dessert topped with dried ants imported from the United States and Thailand.
Investigators estimate around 49,000 ants were used in several dishes over four years.
Health authorities also found the restaurant used ants that “contained up to 55 times more heavy metals than typical edible insects”, according to The Chosun Daily.
Ants are not among the 10 insect species approved for human consumption in South Korea.
The restaurant admitted to serving ants but argued they were used in a “small part” of the 15-course menu and that diners were told they could opt for non-ant toppings.
Only around 60% of diners chose the ant topping, the restaurant said, with alternatives such as fermented vinegar and edible flowers offered instead.
A lawyer for the restaurant stressed it had earned its first Michelin star before serving ants and received its second after stopping.
Before moving overseas, Lidgerwood completed his apprenticeship at various Tasmanian restaurants including in Franklin, the Astor Grill in Hobart and the Henry Jones Art Hotel.
The court is set to deliver its verdict on September 2.
This article has been updated to clarify that it is the restaurant’s owner and CEO who is the defendant in the proceedings, not chef Joseph Lidgerwood. An earlier version of this article did not make this distinction clear.
Lidgerwood is listed by the reastuarant’s website as its “owner chef”, however South Korean business registration documents show Lidgerwood does not hold an ownership stake.
