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Sex, sleaze and hospitality
Investigation

Sex, sleaze and hospitality

The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Good Food reveal alleged misconduct at some of Australia’s top restaurant groups.

16 stories
Swillhouse staff speak out.
Investigation

‘I will not be silenced’: More Swillhouse staff allege sexual assaults, drug taking and workplace abuse

Three staff say they were sexually abused by colleagues and that the company marginalised them. Their claims come on top of earlier allegations by other Swillhouse workers.

  • by Eryk Bagshaw and Bianca Hrovat
Level 6, The Ivy.
Exclusive

‘One step from being a brothel’: Sex, drugs, harassment alleged in Ivy penthouse

An extensive investigation has revealed claims of exploitation of female staff at hospitality giant Merivale. The company denies this.

  • by Eryk Bagshaw and Bianca Hrovat
Merivale chief executive Justin Hemmes.
Exclusive

Merivale steps down from restaurant association, Hemmes tells staff he is ‘devastated’

Merivale chief executive Justin Hemmes says he is “devastated” by allegations levelled at his company. 

  • by Bianca Hrovat and Eryk Bagshaw
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Exclusive

Sex, sleaze and Swillhouse: The sinister side of the glitzy hospitality scene

One of Sydney’s top bar and restaurant groups allegedly pushed female staff out of the company after reporting sexual assaults and encouraged staff to have sex with patrons and take drugs on duty.

  • by Eryk Bagshaw and Bianca Hrovat
Main: Rachelle “Rocky’ Hair”. Inset: Jenna Hemsworth.
Exclusive

‘I hope you learn’: Two brave women go public with claims against Swillhouse

Rachelle “Rocky” Hair was the first female bartender at Swillhouse venues and Jenna Hemsworth was Australian Bartender of the Year in 2018. They won’t be silenced.

  • by Eryk Bagshaw and Bianca Hrovat
NSW Music and the Night Time Economy Minister John Graham.

‘Deeply concerned’: NSW government weighs in on Swillhouse allegations

But Night-Time Economy Minister John Graham stopped short of backing a federal Labor MP’s boycott of the Sydney restaurant group’s venues.

  • by Michaela Whitbourn
Le Foote restaurant in The Rocks.

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

This is how the Herald uncovered allegations of sexual assaults and drug-taking at a top Sydney restaurant group.

  • by Bevan Shields and Sarah Norris
Le Foote restaurant at The Rocks on Thursday during lunch service.
Exclusive

Bartender of the Year alleges sexual assault at Swillhouse as SafeWork NSW probes claims

The NSW government authority will examine the disturbing allegations at hospitality group Swillhouse, as bartender Jenna Hemsworth identifies herself as a complainant.

  • by Eryk Bagshaw and Bianca Hrovat
The old bank vault door at Swillhouse’s the Baxter Inn.
Exclusive

Swillhouse scandal: The sordid bet that unfolded behind the bank vault door at Baxter Inn

Graphic content: When hospitality group Swillhouse opened a new whisky bar, the all-male team was issued a challenge: a special prize for being to the first to have sex with a customer.

  • by Bianca Hrovat and Eryk Bagshaw
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Swillfest in strife
Exclusive

Swillhouse cancels festival after sponsors and musicians pull out amid allegations

The company said it was “heartbroken” by the sexual assault allegations as it pleaded with staff and suppliers not to abandon them.

  • by Bianca Hrovat and Eryk Bagshaw
Swillhouse chief executive Anton Forte on Wednesday morning.
Exclusive

Swillhouse CEO Anton Forte stands down from restaurant association board

Revelations in a Herald and Good Food investigation triggered immediate industry blowback as sponsors, artists and partners pulled out of Swillhouse’s upcoming festival.

  • by Eryk Bagshaw and Bianca Hrovat
The interior at Maggie’s Snacks and Liquor in Brunswick.

‘It’s a toxic culture’: The sexual assault reckoning in the hospitality industry

Bars are common sites of abuse but fine-dining restaurants are not immune, and cultural change is urgently needed.

  • by Dani Valent
Anton Forte pictured outside his Le Foote restaurant in The Rocks.
Editorial

Swillhouse blues are a warning sign for hospitality industry

A brutal and highly toxic male culture has crept into some Sydney nightclubs, where sexual assault and sleaze have come to be tolerated with almost callous nonchalance.

  • The Herald's View
It’s a low bar that can still be tolerated in the hospitality industry.
Opinion

My daughter was a bartender. Like me, she had to endure the gropers

Seriously, despite #MeToo, there remains a 1980s tolerance of bad behaviour in the hospitality industry.

  • by Tania Ewing
Le Foote in The Rocks.
Opinion

The Good Food Guide drops Swillhouse venues, adds workplace culture award

It’s the biggest evolution to the Guide’s approach to reviews in its four-decade history.

  • by Sarah Norris
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Shirley Yeung from women’s hospitality platform, Mix Haus.

‘We need to be part of the tide that lifts’: How hospo is tackling its dark side

A new award will shine a light on positive initiatives. And after explosive coverage of toxic behaviour, many are hopeful that change is afoot.

  • by Dani Valent

Original URL: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/nsw/sex-sleaze-and-hospitality-20240820-p5k3u8.html