Swillhouse group’s Restaurant Hubert in Sydney has been removed from Gourmet Traveller’s Annual Restaurant Guide, following serious allegations in the Sydney Morning Herald this week.
The report, published by Good Food on Wednesday, alleges multiple incidents of sexual assault, including rape, by Swillhouse employees. Swillhouse group operates Restaurant Hubert, Le Foote, Caterpillar Club and Baxter Inn, under chief executive Anton Forte, who is not personally accused of any misconduct.
In a statement to the Herald, Forte said the company was aware of sexual assault allegations at its venues and it “sincerely regretted and apologised to any former employees who felt unsupported and at risk”.
Following these developments, Gourmet Traveller has made the decision to immediately remove Restaurant Hubert from our Annual Restaurant Guide, which will be officially released on Monday.
The print edition of the magazine has already been published, featuring Restaurant Hubert in the NSW Top 25 list. However, it will be removed from all digital editions of the Guide.
This is not the first time we have taken such action. Over the last five years, several establishments have been omitted from our Guide and wider Gourmet Traveller coverage in the face of concerns they may not meet our standards of ethical workplace behaviour.
And while these allegations are not isolated, I cannot stress enough, it is not the prevailing norm. We cannot let this tarnish an entire industry, which is full of decent, hard-working and conscientious humans.
That said, this is the moment to speak up and be heard. If you are a victim or eyewitness to any abuse within the industry, please come forward.
We cannot tell this story without you.
If you or anyone you know needs help, call 1800 Respect (1800 737 732) or contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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