Celebrity chef Jason Atherton has been pictured at work with black eyes, days after he and his family were caught up in a bar room brawl.
The British Michelin-starred chef was allegedly attacked while defending his 17-year-old daughter in a bar in the Philippines on December 23.
Jason Atherton from Worksop, Notts, was dining at the F Cafe and Bar with his family when his daughter is said to have complained that a group of men harassed her outside the restroom in Cebu province.
The award-winning chef, 51, reportedly confronted them and asked them to apologise. But a confrontation ensued, which turned violent in the early hours of the morning at around 1am local time.
Shocking footage showed the mass brawl with fists being thrown and people being stomped on the ground.
F Cafe and Bar has released an official statement, "strongly denying" allegations that their bouncers and one of their managers joined in the attack.
“We strongly deny these allegations,” the statement read. “A melee ensued and the natural reaction of security was to go between the parties to ensure that nobody got hurt and to pacify them. The manager, who just had an eye operation, also went to ensure that security was on top of the situation."
The management said that their staff did not physically assault Atherton, contrary to the claims raised by Governor of Cebu, Gwendolyn Garcia in a post on her official Facebook account.
Garcia posted about the on Facebook on Wednesday and she accompanied her post with a photo of the restaurateur Atherton after the altercation.
“With the internationally acclaimed English Chef and restaurateur, JASON ATHERTON, awarded a MICHELIN STAR for his flagship restaurant, POLLEN STREET SOCIAL within just 6 months from opening in April 2011,” Garcia said.
In the post, Garcia said the photo was taken after she was made aware of the terrible experience Atherton and his family had at a bar in Cebu City.
According to the report she received, Atherton was with his wife Irha, a Cebuana, and their daughter in the establishment that night.
Their night took a terrible turn after Atherton allegedly went up to a group of men who were supposedly harassing his daughter.
“These guys were HARASSING his DAUGHTER, while she was waiting in line for the restroom. JASON asked them to APOLOGIZE, as any FATHER who LOVES his DAUGHTER would,” Garcia said.
“Instead, they all ganged up on him."
She also alleged that the staff of the bar, including the bouncers, aggravated the fight instead of helping the customer.
The incident prompted the official to apologise to Atherton herself.
“I’m so SORRY for what HAPPENED to you, JASON. I HOPE this will NOT CHANGE your FONDNESS for CEBU. Nor KEEP you from COMING BACK to CEBU,” she supposedly told him.
Atherton supposedly replied to her: “Oh NO! It could have HAPPENED anywhere in the WORLD. In LONDON, or any OTHER PLACE.”
F Cafe and Bar added that they were saddened and regretted that the argument between the two parties ended brutally.
“We would have preferred to remain silent about this matter as it is a private matter between parties that does not involve us, recent attacks against the establishment and its employees have constrained us to issue this statement,” they said.
Jason's flagship restaurant Pollen Street Social gained a Michelin Star in 2011, its opening year.
He was the Executive Chef at Gordon Ramsay's Michelin starred Maze in London until 30 April 2010.
