‘Gogglebox’ stars Steph and Dom Parker claim they’ve been “stitched up” after images surfaced that appeared to show the kitchen of their upmarket B&B in a filthy state.
The shocking pictures, claimed to have been taken at the £200-a-night Salutation in Sandwich, Kent, include an oven thick with grease, a blocked sink and rotting meat inside a filthy fridge.
But the stars of the Channel 4 show have claimed some of the pictures aren’t even of their kitchen and have been leaked by a disgruntled former employee in an “unkind, unnecessary, cruel stitch up”.
Speaking about the kitchen featured in the snaps, Dom told The Sun Online: “That could be anyone’s, I’ve never seen it look like that.”
Dom explained that it was the responsibility of a former employee to keep the kitchen of The Dining Room restaurant clean after it received a one star rating.
“Last year we got a five star rating, but this guy got himself in a bit of a pickle and didn’t keep on top of things,” Dom said. “It was his responsibility to keep the place clean and he wasn’t performing properly – it’s all down to that guy and now we’re getting the blame.”
He added: “Nobody has ever been poisoned after eating our food, I eat [at the restaurant] regularly.”
Dom also pointed out that some of the images were in fact of the B&B’s cellar, which is used to store items “like a shed”.
He added that only “small improvements” such as repairing some cracked tiles and fixing door units, had been requested following their last inspection
A spokesperson for the couple confirmed that since the photos were taken, all necessary action has been taken to address any issues raised by the inspector.
“During a recent inspection a few issues were raised. The chef responsible when the inspection was conducted, is no longer with the company,” they told The Mail.