THE posh restaurant which is home to TV hit First Dates has been slammed by food inspectors after they found the kitchen was riddled with mould and raw food spillages.
An array of stomach-churning discoveries were made by a Food Standards Agency official at The Botanist in Bath, which has been the home of the Channel 4 show since 2024.
Juices from uncooked food had spilled out into a fridge and had become “very mouldy”.
The whole kitchen was reported as being dirty, while some food items had gone out of date.
The reviewer wrote: “Detailed cleaning required throughout various areas of the kitchen; under workstations, inside the walk-in fridge and generally around the kitchen/bar.
“The raw food service fridge had spillages that were very mouldy – ensure you
have a structured approach to cleaning.
“The walls in the chiller were particularly mouldy.”
Eight burrata cheeses had passed their use-by dates, while the lights in the kitchen were faulty and there were ceiling panels missing.
The grim details of the FSA inspection in August were revealed after The Sun filed a Freedom of Information request to Bath and North East Somerset Council.
The Botanist was handed a three-out-of-five hygiene rating and was rated only “generally satisfactory” in two of the three categories examined.
First Dates has been filming this month at the restaurant, which is located in the Octagon Chapel in central Bath, a grade II listed building and hot spot for the likes of Jane Austen.
Hosted by French charmer Fred Sirieix, the show pairs people up on blind dates before they choose whether they want to see each other again.
His co-hosts are bartender Merlin Griffiths and waitress Cici Coleman.
On its website, the restaurant says: “The Botanist Bath sets the scene for those looking for love with the help of Fred, Merlin and their team of cupids.”
It was the scene of a memorably awkward episode in series 22 of First Dates which saw construction worker Clinton terrify his match, Dani from Salisbury, by balancing a chair on his chin.
Afterwards, Dani said: “When the chair hit that chin, I was like no.”
Clinton, however, was left smarting from the rejection, and replied: “I’d love to have seen you again.”
Earlier this year, two-Michelin-star restaurant Ynshir in Wales was slapped with a one-out-of-five hygiene rating, while one-star gastropub The Sportsman in Kent was downgraded to a two-out-of-five score last year.
The Botanist has a series of restaurants around England and Wales serving British-influenced, “feel-good” food with a focus on seasonal vegetables, fruit, spices and herbs.
The Botanist did not reply when approached for comment.
First Dates said: “We won’t be commenting on it.”
