Michelin-star chef faces jail for covering diners' desserts in ants

A Michelin-starred chef is facing jail after covering his diners' desserts in ants.

Joseph Lidgerwood, an Australian chef based in South Korea, has been accused of using the bugs to garnish dishes in his restaurant Evett, which retained two Michelin stars in the most recent guide.

The restauranteur is looking at a one-year jail term, with prosecutors also calling for the restaurant's parent company to be fined 20 million Korean won (£10,100).

Mr Lidgerwood has admitted the ants were served, but said they were only in a "small part" of the seasonal restaurant's 15-course menu.

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Diners were also told they could opt out of eating ants - substituting them with fermented vinegar and edible flowers.

Some 10 species of bugs can legally be eaten in South Korea, including grasshoppers, locusts, and two-spotted crickets - but ants do not make the list.

South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety first became aware of the issue when diners posted images of the dishes sprinkled with ants online.

Investigators estimate around 49,000 ants, imported from the US and Thailand, were used in several dishes over four years.

Authorities determined the ants contained up to 55 times more heavy metals than typical edible insects, local media reported.

Mr Lidgerwood, who appeared on Netflix show Culinary Class Wars, claimed during the investigation he used "ant acidity in dishes while working in the US and Europe, and was unaware that it was illegal in Korea".

The restaurant also said about 60 per cent of customers chose the ant topping.

It also disputed the prosecutor's assertion the restaurant made 120million won (£61,000) from selling the dessert.

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Sentencing for the case is now scheduled for September 2.

Evett first received a Michelin star in 2020, later receiving a second in 2025.

The Michelin Guide grants restaurants up to three stars across a range of metrics, including ingredient quality, flavour mastery and cooking technique.

"Two Michelin stars are awarded when the personality and talent of the chef are evident in their expertly crafted dishes; their food is refined and inspired," according to the Michelin guide.

There are 10 two-Michelin star restaurants in South Korea.

Mr Lidgerwood appeared as a "White Apron" chef on Culinary Class Wars, cooking a conger eel dish, but would lose to "Black Spoon" chef Cooking Maniac.

Ants are sometimes eaten in several Asian, African and Latin American cultures, and have been used in a number of fine-dining establishments.

Danish chef Rene Redzepi, co-founder of former three-Michelin star-winner Noma, created a tasting menu dish of shrimp covered in live ants at a pop-up in Tokyo.

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