Swillhouse CEO Anton Forte stands down from restaurant association board

Swillhouse chief executive Anton Forte has stood down from the board of the Australian Restaurant and Cafe Association after five female employees alleged they were sexually assaulted and harassed at the company’s high-profile venues, including Restaurant Hubert, Le Foote and the Baxter Inn.

The revelations in an investigation by The Sydney Morning Herald and Good Food triggered immediate industry blowback on Wednesday as sponsors, artists and partners pulled out of Swillhouse’s first major festival, Swillfest. Food magazine Gourmet Traveller announced it was removing Restaurant Hubert from its NSW Top 25 list.

The former staff also alleged they were encouraged to take drugs while on shift and the company failed to support them after reporting sexual assaults and harassment.

Chef Neil Perry, the chair of the Australian Restaurant and Cafe Association, which represents industry heavyweights Merivale, Fink Group and Accor, said Forte had stood down until the claims had been “thoroughly investigated”.

“There are some serious allegations,” he said. “I’m always concerned by any workplace mismanagement of people. The whole idea of workplace safety is absolutely paramount. We don’t like to see any of that happen.”

In a statement, Swillhouse said it responded with urgency whenever serious claims were presented. There is no suggestion that Forte was personally involved in the misconduct.

“It brings us pain and regret knowing that there have been instances where some of our employees have felt unsupported, unheard or at risk,” the company said. “In recent years, Swillhouse has made concerted efforts to better support the well-being of our workforce and create a more inclusive and safer workplace.”

The Good Food Guide 2023 Chef of the Year, Annita Potter, said that for too long women in hospitality had been expected to “put up or shut up”.

“As awful and uncomfortable as this topic is, people need to know it’s happening at these places so they can make a choice of whether or not they go there. And that’s not just for employees, it’s for customers as well,” she said.

“There is power in voicing this, and there’s a lot of support for women in this situation … this idea [women] can’t work in the industry because of this, it’s heartbreaking.”

Swillhouse has spent the past month promoting its first festival in The Rocks, Swillfest, as a new fixture “in the country’s calendar of iconic, recurring events”.

But those plans were thrown into disarray on Wednesday as popular non-alcoholic beer brand Heaps Normal withdrew its support and musician Maanyung pulled out within hours of the investigation being published. Ice-cream giant Gelato Messina said it would consider its position, and restaurateur Maurice Terzini, of Icebergs Dining Room & Bar, said he would reflect on the decision with his team.

Singer Hevenshe, band Kingswood and brewery Young Henrys did not respond to requests for comment about their participation in the event.

Gourmet Traveller announced the removal of Restaurant Hubert from the digital version of its annual restaurant guide on Wednesday afternoon.

Editor Joanna Hunkin said the French restaurant was featured on its NSW Top 25 List, which has already gone to print.

“While these allegations are not isolated, I cannot stress enough, it is not the prevailing norm,” Hunkin wrote. “We cannot let this tarnish an entire industry, which is full of decent, hard-working and conscientious humans.”

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