Inside the Herald’s investigation into sex and sleaze in Sydney’s hospitality industry

Readers will not have missed our series of investigative reports this week into Swillhouse group, which operates six of Sydney’s most high-profile venues including Le Foote in The Rocks, Restaurant Hubert, the Baxter Inn and Caterpillar Club in the CBD.

The company allegedly pushed out female staff who reported sexual assaults and encouraged employees to have sex with customers and take drugs while on duty.

The Herald does not publish these sorts of stories lightly and a huge amount of work has gone into this series over many months from investigative reporter Eryk Bagshaw, Good Food reporter Bianca Hrovat, investigations editor Michael Evans and the head of Good Food, Sarah Norris.

This investigation has struck a real chord with readers. For something a little different, I wanted today’s note to give you an insight into how this came about. To do that, I have asked Sarah a series of questions, which you can read below.

Swillhouse group’s award-winning Le Foote bar in The Rocks.Credit: James Brickwood

How did this investigation come about?

Sarah: Earlier this year, a number of Instagram accounts started to call out bad behaviour in the Australian hospitality industry. Good Food alerted the Herald’s investigations team, and Eryk Bagshaw began digging. Good Food’s Sydney reporter, Bianca Hrovat, joined Eryk, and together, they continued interviewing people and verifying claims of sexual assault and other misconduct.

How difficult was it to uncover the extent of the problems?

We wouldn’t have been able to pursue any of these stories without the bravery of the women and men willing to take the risk and speak out against this systemic abuse. Many of these people experienced years of being ignored or not taken seriously – or an absence of consequences for bad and illegal behaviour – so they needed to trust Eryk and Bianca.

Everyone we spoke to was extremely worried about repercussions and wanted to remain anonymous. On Friday, Jenna Hemsworth, the Australian Bartender of the Year in 2018, told the Herald she was now willing to be identified. She issued a statement saying she had been sexually assaulted while working at Swillhouse.

What’s the reaction been to the allegations?

There’s been shock and sadness but also hope. Shock from Sydneysiders who know and love Swillhouse venues, and sadness to learn about the experiences these women have had to endure. These are genuinely dreadful allegations that are hard to read. There’s also been a feeling of hope that these stories might lead to change in the hospitality industry. Swillhouse has denied it discriminated against employees who raised allegations of sexual assault and released a statement on Thursday saying: “While we cannot right the wrongs of the past, we acknowledge them and apologise for any hurt caused.”

What sort of industry change?

Sadly, Swillhouse is not an isolated case. Dani Valent’s story that Good Food published on Wednesday is an equally sobering read, revealing that sexual harassment and gender-based violence have reached endemic levels. Her article and the Swillhouse stories reveal an industry that pressures people not to speak out and workplaces that support men even when they engage in abusive behaviour. Dani writes: “Late nights, gendered power imbalances, and the ubiquity of alcohol conspire to make hospitality one of the least friendly industries for women working in front-of-house service positions.”

But the good thing about these stories – and this is what makes people feel hopeful – is they also highlight the business operators fighting the good fight and trying to transform the industry into a safe place. People shouldn’t feel unsafe at work, and for this to be true for the Australian hospitality industry, it requires people willing to blow up industry norms. For every bad venue, there are great ones that show leadership and respect.

For those who aren’t familiar with Swillhouse, tell us about the group and why this is such a big deal.

Swillhouse’s first venue, Darlinghurst’s Shady Pines Saloon, changed Sydney’s bar scene when it opened in 2010. The city was fighting the domination of the mega-pub and the “schmiddy”, and the group helped prove Sydneysiders did want to drink in small bars.

Fast-forward to 2024, and Swillhouse has six venues, including the perpetually busy late-night CBD bar Caterpillar Club, Baxter Inn (which has made it into the World’s 50 Best Bar list six times), and Restaurant Hubert, which confirmed Swillhouse group as one of the most influential players in Sydney’s hospitality scene. The venues are stylish and transport you to another time and place, underpinned by sharp service and excellent food and drinks. This investigation drew back the curtain to reveal troubling and horrible behind-the-scenes behaviour.

Have there been any ramifications as a result of the news?

On Friday, SafeWork NSW began investigating Swillhouse’s operations following days of reporting by the Herald and Good Food. The government agency is responsible for ensuring workplaces meet their duties on workplace sexual harassment and alcohol and drug use. Swillhouse also cancelled its first festival, Swillfest, after partners, musicians and sponsors pulled out following the accusations.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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