Prominent chef Kelvin Zachary Andrews to fight rape charge

A well-known Brisbane chef who recently resigned from one of Queensland’s most high-profile restaurants has been charged with raping a woman at the luxury Calile Hotel.

Chef Kelvin Andrews. Picture: Glenn Hampson

A prominent Brisbane chef who previously helmed one of Queensland’s most high-profile restaurants has been charged with the alleged rape of a woman at the Calile Hotel.

Kelvin Zachary Andrews, 32, who was formerly the head chef at luxury Fortitude Valley steakhouse SK Steak & Oyster, is facing a single charge of rape alleged to have been committed in March this year.

Defence lawyer Daniel Hannay said Andrews emphatically denied the allegation and would fight the single charge brought against him.

He said submissions had already been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions arguing that the case against his client had no reasonable prospects of success, and should be discontinued.

Mr Hannay said in his view, evidence including CCTV footage, pre-text phone calls and text messages between Andrews and the complainant “should have been more closely considered by the police prior to deciding to charge” his client.

“It seems to be an unfortunate time, where any allegation of this type, no matter how baseless, results in a charge, which has lasting and detrimental effects for all parties involved,” Mr Hannay said.

Andrews was considered the “K” in well-known hospitality operation STK Group, behind other popular Fortitude Valley venues such as Hellenika, Sushi Room and Sunshine.

However, he handed in his resignation in August citing “personal reasons”.

Kelvin Andrews at SK Steak & Oyster in Fortitude Valley. Picture: Adam Head

Police will allege Andrews and the complainant in the case had engaged in consensual sex on an evening in March in the Sushi Room private function area at the Calile Hotel on James Street.

It is alleged both parties were drinking alcohol and that the complainant became more intoxicated throughout the night, prompting Andrews to call another woman to help him assist her.

Andrews booked the woman a hotel room at the Calile and the two assisted the complainant upstairs before returning downstairs.

The events in the Sushi Room as well as throughout the public areas of the Calile Hotel are understood to have been captured on CCTV.

Text messages from the woman to Andrews form part of the police case in which she allegedly asks where he is, refers to the two as “soulmates” and asks him to come to the room and “cuddle me”.

It’s understood there is footage that shows Andrews allegedly went to the woman’s room for about nine minutes.

It is during that time the woman alleges she was raped.

The Courier-Mail understands Andrews denies any sexual activity in the room and told police he got her a bottle of water and a towel to wipe away her vomit before leaving.

Andrews joined the STK Group in 2019 after previously heading the kitchen at luxury restaurant Nineteen at the Star in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast.

Prior to that he worked at now-defunct restaurant Fish House in Burleigh Heads and the original Hellenika on the Gold Coast.

The case is listed for a further mention in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on January 22.