The Sunday Mirror has forced Hell’s Kitchen restaurateur Marco Pierre White to drop a threat to dock staff wages to pay for diners who walk out without paying.
A manager at the celebrity chef’s New York Italian at East Midlands Airport Yew Lodge Hotel, Kegworth, told workers walkouts over the last few months had cost the eatery £646.29.
And the message added: “Management has come to the decision that from today onwards staff will have to pay for any walkouts that he/she is responsible for.
“It’s not fair on the company to take on these losses.”
Yet while Mr White, 60, is worth an estimated £33million many of his waiters and waitresses are struggling to get by on minimum wages.
But the threat was lifted after the Sunday Mirror contacted Mr White’s aides.
We asked what measures were in place to help young staff deal with a non-paying customer.
A spokesperson told us: “This seems to be a misunderstanding following an email to staff by one of our managers.
“As owners, we have never said that we will deduct these losses from staff wages or from tips
“The message was to highlight the issue of guests walking out without paying which is a major issue across the industry.”
Dave Turnbull of union Unite which represents hospitality workers said docking staff wages would be illegal.
He added: “We are pleased Marco Pierre White has made clear this was a mistake.
“The company now needs to communicate to all staff this is not company policy and any attempts to impose it by managers will be reported to police.”
Marco Pierre White became the youngest chef to achieve three Michelin stars but handed them back when he hung up his apron in 1999 and announced he would no longer do the cooking. “I was bored,” he said.
TV cook Gordon Ramsay famously fell out with the Hell’s Kitchen star by going it alone after they had worked together for 15 years.
They buried the hatchet during the Covid lockdown when they agreed to team up for a new TV reality series.
There are now eight Marco Pierre White New York Italian restaurants across the country, 23 steakhouses, two chop houses and four other restaurants.
There was anger last week when Boris Johnson dropped plans to include an employment bill in the Queen’s Speech guaranteeing flexible working and fair tips.
TUC boss France O’Grady said: “By shelving the bill ministers have sent a signal that they are happy for rogue employers to ride roughshod over workers’ rights.
“Bad bosses up and down the country will be celebrating.”
