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

The state’s night-time economy minister has stopped short of backing a federal Labor MP’s boycott of Swillhouse venues but expressed his “deep concern” as the Sydney restaurant group comes under scrutiny over its culture and treatment of female staff.

Sally Sitou, Labor MP for the federal seat of Reid in Sydney’s west, said in a post on X on Saturday that she’d had “great nights out at Swillhouse venues before, and I hope to have more”, but she “won’t be going back there until they can genuinely clean up the culture of these workplaces”.

NSW Night-Time Economy Minister John Graham.Credit: Steven Siewert

NSW Music and Night-Time Economy Minister John Graham, who is also the jobs and tourism minister, told The Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday: “I’m deeply concerned by the revelations this week.

“Just as people expect a safe night out, night-time workers deserve to be safe at work.”

The restaurant group 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.

A months-long investigation by The Sydney Morning Herald and Good Food, published this week, revealed allegations the group ousted female staff after they reported sexual assaults, encouraged staff to have sex with customers and take drugs while on shift, and discriminated against women.

Swillhouse has denied it discriminated against women who raised sexual assault and harassment allegations.

In a fresh report on Saturday, two former Swillhouse employees allowed their identities to be made public as they alleged they were sexually assaulted while working at the company.

Rachelle “Rocky” Hair, the first woman employed as a bartender at Swillhouse venues Frankie’s Pizza, Shady Pines and The Baxter Inn, alleged she was assaulted by a fellow staff member while working at Shady Pines after being pressured to take MDMA and later filed a report with the NSW Police.

Jenna Hemsworth, the 2018 Australian Bartender of the Year, told this masthead on Friday she was now also willing to be identified. She issued a statement saying she had been sexually assaulted while working at Swillhouse.

Hemsworth said she was told she was a “square peg in a round hole” after she reported the alleged assault to the company.

Sitou said in separate posts on Saturday that “women going to work in hospitality must be able to feel safe”, and “[as] politics is having its ongoing reckoning, I hope hospitality too goes through [its] own period of soul searching to figure out how it can make the industry safer for all workers”.

Government agency SafeWork NSW, which is responsible for ensuring workplaces are meeting their duties on workplace sexual harassment and alcohol and drug use in the workplace, said on Thursday that “the allegations of serious work health and safety issues highlighted in recent media reports relating to Swillhouse Group are concerning”.

“SafeWork NSW is making inquiries into the allegations raised in these media reports.”

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.